


Up

by Thingssicant



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Disney, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Happy Ending, Homophobia, M/M, Minor Character Death, Old Age, Period-Typical Homophobia, up - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-30
Updated: 2020-05-30
Packaged: 2021-03-02 22:21:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 26,004
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24454351
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thingssicant/pseuds/Thingssicant
Summary: Louis Tomlinson thought he had everything he wanted. He had a wife and daughter, a good job, a house with a white picket fence, and even a few pets along the wayIt’s only when he turned 71 that a load of balloons and poorly timed knock on the door changed his life foreverOr, an Up au
Relationships: Eleanor Calder/Louis Tomlinson, Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson, Just a tiny blip though, blink and you won't see it
Comments: 5
Kudos: 44
Collections: One Direction Big Bang Round 3





	Up

**Author's Note:**

> Art from @velvetnoodle
> 
> Written for @onedirectionbigbang

“Adventure is out there!”

Louis stopped in his tracks, tightening his grip on his Spirit of Adventure balloon. He looked over, seeing the old abandoned house he had passed many times before, only this time seeing a small curly haired boy in the window jumping around. For some reason it had Louis frozen in his spot.

Ever since the war, he hadn’t really seen children play like this, most kids solem from losing family members. Louis himself had never met his father, the man having been drafted before he was born. All he had of him was the pilot hat and goggles Louis was adorning today. Way too big for his head, but they matched the ones Muntz wore in the film.

The boy didn’t even notice Louis staring; he was so lost in his adventure, jumping from a broken chair onto a dirty old couch. It had Louis’ feet moving on their own accord right up to the front door. If you could call it that. It was barely hanging its hinges and you could easily just walk inside, or at least Louis could seeing how small he was for his age. He still attempted to knock, trying not to knock the whole door down as he did so

Within seconds he was eye to eye with the curly haired boy, who, evidently, was wearing a matching hat and goggles.

“Perfect! My co-captain! I’ve been waiting for you!” the boy said easily. He grabbed Louis’ hand, dragging him into the house. It was obvious the boy had been here before, drawings covered the walls, postcards littered between them. Near the front window was a broken plane wheel he must have nicked from one of the junkyards. Or maybe his father was a pilot too; it would explain the hat.

“Come on! We’re about to crash!” the boy yelled. “What’s your name!”

“Um... Louis?” Louis stuttered out. He had never met someone so loud before.

“Okay, Um Louis! I need you to man the ship! I’ll give directions! I’m a superior directioner!”

“Wait! It’s not um Louis! It’s just Louis!” Louis said frantically.

“Okay, Just Louis! Now hurry and grab the wheel before we crash!” the boy said, trying to open a map that was about twice his size. He was looking between the map and the broken front window. “Left Louis! We’re about to hit that bird!” he yelled.

And suddenly, Louis could see it. They were in the clouds over Paradise Falls; out the big window, he could see the bird heading his way, the rare one Muntz just discovered! He grabbed onto the wheel, throwing it all the way left as the boy made squawking noises for the bird.

“Woo! Just missed her!” the boy said in relief, wiping a hand above his brow. Louis copied his motion showing the same amount of relief.

“I’ll land us next to the falls, then we can-“ Louis stopped when he was tackled to the ground.

“Paradise Falls?” the boy yelled. He held a photo of the falls Louis had just seen on the big screen. “Louis, you have to join my club! We can be best friend adventurers!”

“I-“ Louis was about to say, but he had gotten distracted, finally letting go of his balloon. Both boys watched as it floated up through a hole in the ceiling. Louis tried to hold back tears, waiting for the inevitable pop, but it never came. Instead, the boy stood up, holding his hand out.

“Well come on, Lou! Let’s be real adventurers!” the boy yelled. He dragged Louis up some crockety old stairs to a landing. He could see the balloon, spinning very close to an open window. If he didn’t go now it would be gone. Unfortunately that meant crossing the room. The hole in the floor was bigger than he thought, and the only way across was a rotting plank of wood. But his balloon…

“Come on you! You can do it! Then we can play with it! I love balloons!” the boy said, shoving Louis forward. For someone smaller than Louis he was sure able to pull him around.

Louis gulped, looking down. He looked back at the boy, who was giving him a big smile and a thumbs up. Louis nodded to him. He took one step and... he was fine. This wasn’t so bad. Second step... third and...

CRASH

The board snapped under Louis’ feet. He fell down to the first level only seeing Harry’s face looking at him in horror.

An ambulance was there quickly; thankfully a neighbour had heard them, running over to help after hearing the noise. As they closed the doors to the ambulance, the boy was standing outside waving. “See you later best friend!” he yelled, just as loud as he had been in the house. Louis smiled to himself. It was the most fun he ever had.

*

Louis was laying in bed, holding his broken arm to his chest. He sighed to himself, looking over at the small poster on his wall, a picture of Paradise Falls he got from the movie earlier. It had been in his pocket and thankfully didn’t get ruined in the accident, unlike his poor balloon that floated away before he was even in the ambulance.

He sighed again, wishing he could go play with his new best friend. It had only been a few hours but he already missed the boy and all his energy. He could probably cheer Louis up right now, and make his arm feel better. His mum had kissed it better several times but to no avail. It was still painful and had Louis stuck in bed.

A knocking around his window startled him out of his thoughts. He looked over, squinting to see better in the dim evening light, but still couldn’t see anything. The adventurer came out in him and he hopped out of bed, trying best not to jostle his arm. He peeked out the window and was surprised to see a new balloon, ‘spirit of adventure’ hastily written with marker on this one instead of the professional one he had earlier.

He grabbed the string, heart fluttering in his chest when he looked down to see the boy waving enthusiastically at him, his mum not far behind.

Within seconds he could hear him bounding up the stairs, the sound of their mums laughter following behind him on the main floor. The curly haired boy beamed at him when he made it to Louis’ room.

“I’m so glad you’re okay!” he said, hugging Louis, careful not to hurt his arm. It was then Louis noticed him carrying something — a book of some sorts.

“It’s my adventure book,” Harry explained, sitting on Louis’ bed with him. He opened the tattered book. “You know him, Charles Muntz adventurer extraordinaire!” he yelled, pointing out a brochure for one of his exhibits.

“Boys! Inside voices!” his mother yelled from downstairs, causing the curly haired boy to roll his eyes. He flipped the page, showing a cut out of a map.

“When I grow up, I'm going where he’s going! South America! It’s like America... but south,” the boy whispered in awe. He looked down at the map, feeling over its tattered edges with his small fingers. Louis touched it himself, trying to read the points on the map and look at the drawings the boy had around it.

“I ripped this right out of a library book!” he said proudly. Louis looked over at him in shock, knowing the boy was a lot more daring than he was, but not as daring as to deface property. His mum would kill him if he even tried that. It just made Louis like him more.

“And wanna know where I’m gonna live? Paradise Falls,” the boy said, flipping the page, instead of the photo of Paradise Falls Louis was used to, the one he had tacked on his wall this very moment. This was one the boy had obviously drawn. It was still clearly the falls, the crystal blue water coloured in with crayon. But in this one a tiny house sat at the top, one that resembled where Louis had fallen earlier, but instead coloured rainbow.

“I love it,” Louis whispered, leaning in to inspect the photo closer.

“I just don’t know how we’ll get there,” the boy sighed. He looked over at Louis with a frown, his eyes slowly trailing passed Louis’ face to his room behind him. Louis followed his gaze, landing on the small toy blimp his mum had hung from the ceiling.

“That’s it!” the boy yelled, running up to it. He jumped up as if to try and grab it but his short body was unable to reach. Instead, he ran over to Louis. “You’ll take us on a blimp! Swear you’ll take me! Cross your heart!” he yelled.

Louis jumped back slightly, always shocked at how loud his new best friend could be. He smiled at him and crossed his heart, earning a beaming smile right back.

“Here,” the boy said, grabbing Louis’ shirt. He fiddled around and Louis looked down trying to see what the boy was doing. When he pulled away, Louis had a homemade pin on his shirt— a grape soda cap glued to a safety pin.

“Now you’re officially a part of my club,” the boy said proudly. All Louis could do was smile at him again.

“You don’t talk much,” the boy said. He paused, bringing his hand up to his chin, as if thinking. After a moment he smiled again. “I like you!” he declared, causing Louis to smile even bigger.

“H!” the boy’s Mum yelled from downstairs. “Time to go!”

“Rats!” H sighed, grabbing his book. Louis sat on his bed, looking much less pitiful than he had before his friend came. He still frowned, not wanting him to go just yet.

“Wait!” he said as the boy was about to leave his room “What... what’s in the rest of your book?” he asked. H seemed to perk up again, almost as if he forgot he was showing Louis the book at all. He walked back over to the bed, flipping the big book open. Louis looked at the new page “Future adventures” written out in blue crayon.

“I’m saving these pages for all the adventures I’m gonna have!” he said proudly. He closed the book again, holding it to his chest, but didn’t make a move to leave until his mum called for him again. In a last second thought, he put the book in Louis’ lap.

“You can borrow it, just while your arm is broken, then I expect you right back at our clubhouse once it’s fixed! Got it?” he asked, getting right up in Louis’ face. Louis nodded dumbly and the boy smiled. “Great! See you later Louis!” he said, running from the room.

Louis hopped off his bed running to his window, adventure book gripped tight by his non broken arm. He watched H walk down the street with his mum, until he was out of sight.

For the next few weeks, Louis was stuck inside letting his arm heal properly under his mum's orders. It didn’t stop him from thinking about the boy though; he dreamed of the day he would be able to run to their clubhouse, arm free from its cast, and have adventures as often as possible.

His mum was almost starting to get annoyed with how much he talked about H; it was almost the same as when he became a fan of Muntz. Once Louis got his mind on something, he couldn't stop.

He told his mum of all the adventures they would have, and showed off his club pin H had given him. He kept the adventure book secret though. H had told Louis he had only shown it to him, and he definitely didn't want to betray his new friend’s trust. Not this early, anyway. So every night, once his family had fallen asleep, he would pull out his flashlight and read under the covers, looking at the pages the boy had added, and even adding his own little doodles alongside the others.

When the day finally came, and his cast was off, Louis was out the door within seconds. Wind flipped through his hair as he ran towards the abandoned house as fast as his little legs would take him.

He ran up to the front door, not even bothering to knock this time, the adventure book clutched to his chest as he went through the little opening.

“Hello?” he called, trying to be louder than normal. Over the last few weeks the boy had inspired him to become a kid again, no matter what the war told him. He was louder and played as much as his arm would let him. His mum even had to tell him off for not using his indoor voice once. It was brilliant.

“I’ve got your book!” he yelled, running into the living room, and, weird, all the pages that were on the wall were missing, the wheel at the window gone. Louis’ face fell but he was still determined. He ran up the stairs, and stood at the edge. “Hello?” he called, quieter this time.

Still no sign of him.

It was like he was gone. Like the whole thing was just a figment of Louis’ imagination. The only thing counteracting that was the book in Louis’ arms. He slumped down the stairs, slower than he had run up and started to rummage around the living room for any signs of life.

But still, nothing.

He pushed the front door open and sat on the front steps, letting out a huge sigh. If the boy wasn’t here now he would just wait. He wouldn’t leave without his adventure book. Or so Louis thought.

And wait he did. All day. Until the sun went down and his mum was calling him for dinner. Louis sat on those front steps every day he could. Waiting. But the boy never came back. Not the first day or the second. Not even a few weeks later when his mum told him to just give up.

So he did, give up that is, gave up, reverting back to his quiet old self. Shelving the book in the top nook of his closet, and forgetting. The war soon ended, and life went on for Louis.

The odd time, Louis would dig in his closet, finding the book on accident. He would smile, and reach to pull it out, but he would always get interrupted. His sisters needed help. He was late for school. Something would always cause the book to be put right back in its spot, forgotten again.

Over the years the book started collecting dust, yellowing from disuse, and the adventure in Louis faded with it. He finished school. Got a job he didn’t like. And always ignored the nagging feelings in the back of his mind telling him something in his relationship with his current girlfriend Eleanor, just wasn’t right.

The book wasn’t touched again until the day of their wedding. Louis was tasked with cleaning the last few things out of his childhood bedroom, his mother ready to fill it with a new set of twins on the way. That was when he found it, sitting in under a pile of dust. He was careful to wipe it off, not wanting to ruin his new suit.

It was like a bolt of lightning striking his brain, all the memories hitting at once. The boy, the abandoned house, the adventures he had planned for his life before they all drifted away. Before he grew up.

It almost felt like a punch to the gut. What was he doing? He knew this wasn’t a life he wanted to live. He wanted to travel, see the world, find that stupid rare bird muntz was on about. Falling back on his bed, the book sat on his lap, that little crayon drawing reminding him. He slammed it shut when his mother came in, shaky hands folding over it as she wrapped him in her arms.

“What’s wrong, my love?” she asked, a small smile coming to her face. “Cold feet?”

“Am I making the right decision?” Louis asked, eyes still glued to the book. He wished his mother knew the true weight behind the question, because otherwise she wouldn’t have answered the way she did.

“Of course you are, Boo. Eleanor is such a lovely girl. Now come along, or we’re going to be late.”

And with that, he became a married man. He loved her, truly. Just maybe not the right way. Not the way he could love a man.

They bought a house together after that, an old beat up thing that needed every repair in the book. But it was within walking distance to his mum, so could help with the girls whenever she needed it. He was sure Eleanor despised it, but something about it felt charming to Louis, and it was all he could afford on the salary of a balloon salesman.

Over the years, he slowly but surely fixed it up. Replacing the things that needed it, fixing pipes and broken windows, and finally fixing the giant hole in the top floor, making the second level actually usable.

Everything they had just piled up there moved to the attic, including the adventure book that he hadn't even given a second look at.

The house seemed nearly done then, all the furniture moved in, the bedrooms set up, one even ready to become a nursery when the time came. The thought scared Louis. This was his life now, and there was no changing it. He could almost view how every day would be for the rest of his life: wake up early, sell balloons to children at the fair, come home to a kiss on the cheek and candlelit meal - the most passion he and Eleanor really had together - then he would read the paper, listen to the radio, and sleep.

Kids would join down the line, and that would make things more interesting, but he wouldn’t be able to raise them in a home where their parents would truly love each other.

Everything came to a halt one day, when at lunch he wandered over to a farmers market nearby, intending to bring some fresh vegetables home for dinner. Instead, he found the most beautiful painting he had ever seen.

A little house sat atop a mountain with a waterfall going down the painting, ending in little swirls. It was familiar in a way, but he just couldn't pinpoint it. His mind was too busy looking at the house, its colours coming off the page in how bright they were. It was rainbow, reminding him of the flags he had seen in a magazine, about a parade in New York City. A gay pride pararde.

It struck his heart, suddenly sending him into a panic. Gay. He knew he wasn’t attracted to women, and he had looked at men in way he knew he shouldn’t, but he never thought of himself as gay. Not until this very second.

He had been lying to himself. Lying that he could live the rest of his life with Eleanor and be happy, when really all he wanted to do was live in that little rainbow house, shouting to the world that he liked men and he was okay with it.

The painting was paid for and under his arm without him really realizing it. He knew his plan now. He would go home from work early, explain to Eleanor that he just couldn’t stay with her. It wouldn’t be right. He would finally live a life that would make it happy, with a husband and kids and would his mother accept him? Would he really care as long as he got what he wanted? What he needed?

He barely paid attention as he walked home, only noticing where he was when his feet hit the driveway up to their home. Maybe this wouldn’t even be his home anymore, in a matter of minutes.

“Oh Lou! I’m so glad you're home early!” Eleanor spoke, greeting him at the door as always. She must have spotted him from the front window.

“I have something we need to talk about...” Louis mumbled, leaning the painting against the wall near the door.

“Oh! I do too! But let me go first! I’m so excited,” she said.

“El— please.”

“I’m pregnant!” She beamed, practically jumping up and down as she tugged Louis into a hug.

Frozen, Louis was only shuffled by the small woman’s weight rocking him back and forth in excitement. He couldn’t say a word, didn’t even know what he would say if he could.

“I’m speechless,” he mumbled as Eleanor pulled away from him.

“So was I! We finally get to start our family, Lou! Start our lives together!”

That night Louis lay in bed, looking up at the ceiling while his wife snored beside him. It took everything in himself to hold back the tears that wanted to fall.

He felt like smashing that painting, some sort of symbolism of the life he had to give up. Because he couldn’t leave Eleanor now, not when they had a baby to worry about.

That thought brought a small joy to his heart. A baby. At least if he couldn’t have a man, and the type of family he really wanted, he could have a kid. And if anything, that could bring him as much joy as the other scenario. Or at least he hoped.

If he thought about it, Eleanor wasn’t that bad. He wasn’t sexually attracted to her, not in any sense, but the platonic love was there. She was his best friend. They had been together for years, and if he had to do this with any woman, he was glad it was her.  
All that didn’t help the stinging in his heart as he fell asleep, though.

In an effort to control some semblance of his life, Louis went to the hardware store the next morning, claiming to Eleanor that he wanted to bring home some samples of paint for the nursery, when really he still had that painting in the back of his mind.

His thought process was this: if he couldn’t come out as gay and live the life he wanted that he was forcing into the back of his mind, atleast he could have one aspect of it. A rainbow home.

Eleanor fought him on it the minute he got in the door, arms full of paint in the brightest colours he could find, having not even liked the painting he brought home the night before. But Louis didn’t budge, refusing to let her take everything from him. Even if it was on his own accord. And on the next Saturday morning he was painting the front of their home a beautiful pale yellow and green, with the other colours coming in whenever he had time

It wasn’t a lie when people told him life moved fast. Suddenly he had a baby in his arms— a girl. His time was now spent between working and sleepless nights

It felt way too fast as she started to grow; one day taking her first steps, and the next off to school.

They never did have any more kids, not having much time between Girl Scouts and soccer practice. And Louis brushed things off when they did have time.

His baby girl grew up quickly. As days went on she graduated high school, went off to college, and met a man of her own to marry, all while Louis kept to his quiet life, selling balloons at the fair. A love he never gave up from childhood.

It all hit him, how fast life truly went, when he was 71, and staring down at his wife's grave. 

The only major difference of his new life, besides the fact the he was now alone, was his new neighbours.

What was once a pretty barren street, only a few houses with giant backyards, and green fields as far as the eye could see was now complete construction.

Gone were the little lovely homes, and his neighbours with them. Now, everything surrounding his backyard was dirt and construction vehicles.

They were building condos, the newest trend in homes. Trying to rejuvenate the area, drag downtown into the quiet suburbs Louis used to love. The only thing left was his house, and much to the dismay of the builders, he wasn’t moving.

Every morning he sat on his porch waiting for his mail, loud front loaders and bulldozers working around him and shaking up his house. He had gotten a few flyers for various retirement homes recently, but figured those were only slid in by the land owners, and maybe his daughter, who worried for him being alone.

Instead of the mailman coming up his walkway that morning, it was one of the workers, smug smile over his muddy face as he stood on the porch.

“Mr. Tomlinson! How are we doing on this fine morning,” he said.

“Would be better if you didn’t drag mud up my walkway mate,” Louis scoffed. He tried to stand up, moving the grab the broom he kept on his porch for situations just like this, but his back was fighting him that morning, making getting out of his chair an embarrassingly hard task.

“Let me help you there, sir,” the man said, easily climbing up the steps of Louis’ porch and dragging the mud further.

“I’m fine. Just—” He paused, taking a deep breath as he forced himself up. “Clean up after yourself. Then leave me the fuck alone,” he said, motioning to the broom beside his front door.

“You know,” the man said, clearly ignoring Louis’ request. He even tried to grab Louis’ arm, much to his dismay. “My boss, he’s doubling his offer from last time. Could get you in a real nice retirement home, and you wouldn’t have to worry about all this dirt and noise anymore.”

“Did he pay you to say that?” Louis asked, ripping his arm away from the man. He grabbed his cane, brushing passed the man to make his way down the steps, his mail finally delivered for the day.

“I’m guessing that’s a no?” the man asked, following behind Louis carefully, as if Louis would break any moment. He was old, yes, but he wasn’t frail. He would be damned if he couldn’t hold his own.

“I believe I made myself quite clear yesterday,” Louis said.

“Yeah, the giant fuck off in your window last week was pretty clear,” the man chuckled. Louis smirked to himself. That has been the best idea yet, besides the rats he set loose, but they hadn’t found those yet.

“That was pretty good, wasn't it? Here, let me talk to him,” Louis said, grabbing the megaphone the man had in his work belt. He turned, facing where he could clearly see the owner of this whole operation, black suit a huge contrast to all the dirt around him.

“Hey you! In the suit! Take a bath you fucking hippie!” he yelled. As expected, the man grabbed the megaphone from his hands pretty quick, holding his hands up to motion that he was not a part of Louis’ antics as he walked away.

The problem with keeping the house was that Louis was lonely. With Eleanor gone, along with all his neighbours, he didn't have much company. And as much as he loved his house, it was annoying to have to keep all the windows and blinds shut to keep out the nosy construction workers.

Most days Louis spent sitting in the dark, TV blaring loudly to block out the outside noise. (And so he could hear it, but he wouldn’t confess to that.)

So when he heard a knock on the door, he figured he was imagining it. It was only when he heard it again, and then for a third time, that he finally dragged himself from his chair to his front door, fully expecting another construction worker and not the tall lanky man in front of him, only looking a few years younger then Louis himself.

He was wearing flairs, something Louis hadn’t seen since the 70’s, and had long curly hair tied back in a silk bandana.

“If you’re here to put an offer on the house, I already told them no,” Louis said, already moving to close the door. 

"No, i'm not here to put an offer on your house" The man said "My name is Harry styles, by the way- I, um" Harry fumbled Louis raised a brow at him, waiting for more 

“Today I’m here with something very important!” Harry said, gripping onto his clipboard. “Do you like dolphins?” he asked, green eyes seemingly staring into Louis' soul. He was standing so close that Louis could see the little crow's feet and smile lines forming on his face, a few sun spots with them.

“Yeah...?” Louis mumbled, still confused by this man's presence on his front porch.

“Then don’t go to seaworld!” Harry said. “Did you know-”

“I wasn’t planning on it,” Louis said, interrupting whatever little speech Harry had planned.

“Oh,” Harry mumbled, appearing confused by this answer. He fish mouthed, not sure what to say.

“Will you leave my property now please? I’m kinda busy,” Louis lied, though he had been watching a special on Netflix, if you could call that busy.

“Will you sign my petition to close SeaWorld?”

“Which one?” Louis asked, raising a brow.

“All of them,” Harry said easily. Louis smiled and grabbed his door frame.

“No,” he said, moving to slam it shut. It didn’t close all the way, a Mary Jane shoe blocking its path. “Excuse you,” Louis scoffed.

“You said you like dolphins. Why won’t you sign my petition?”

“I said I'm busy,” Louis huffed, trying to close the door again. Harry wouldn’t budge, keeping his foot wedged between the door and the frame, all the while he had a big dimpled grin on his face. Louis suddenly couldn’t stand him.

“Get. Off. My. Property.”

“Sign. My. Petition.” Harry said, getting equally as frustrated as Louis.

They only stopped when a loud crash could be heard behind them. Louis looked over Harry’s shoulder to see his mailbox, the one he and Eleanor had crafted together, now smushed between a giant tire and the asphalt.

“What the fuck are you doing?” Louis yelled, shoving past Harry to hobble down his sidewalk.

“Sir, I'm sure it's fixable,” one of the construction men said, picking it up off the ground. Louis tried to rip it from his hands, but he just wasn’t strong enough.

“Sir, please, let me help,” the man said, trying to reform the cheap metal back into its shape. Louis didn’t give up, still trying to rip it away from the man.

“Don’t touch that!” he yelled, lifting his cane with his free hand to swing at the man. He was aiming for his arm, a gentle tap to get him to let go, but Louis was new to this whole cane thing, and sometimes forgot just how strong he still was. So instead of a gentle tap to the man's arm, he whacked him in the head, leaving a small bleeding gash behind as the man instantly dropped the mailbox.

“Oh fuck,” he mumbled.

Everything froze around them, the man touching his forehead gently as a few of his co-workers started to walk up to him. The machines stopped, the loud beeps that had seemed to be going for decades coming to a halt as they watched the two of them. Louis looked over and could see the owner and his stupid suit, smirking at him, as if he had fianlly won.

Louis rushed inside, mailbox in hand. This time Harry didn’t try and stop him.

*

“Okay, so I met with the courts today. They said they’ll remove all charges if you agree to sell them the house.”

“The land, more like. They’ll just bulldoze the shit out of the house. Fucking rip it limb from limb,” Louis scoffed.

“Language!” Wendy huffed.

“Since when did you become the parent?” Louis asked teasingly, trying to lighten the mood, even just a bit. Everything in the house felt heavy; he couldn’t even hear the construction going on outside.

“Since your grandson started picking up words from you,” Wendy said, rolling her eyes. “But seriously, Dad? You need to take this, it's a good deal.”

“What? And let them win? No way.”

“You want to end up in jail? Because that's where you're heading if you don’t take this deal,” Wendy sighed, rubbing her hand over her face. “This is serious, you lost the righ to ‘win’ when you smacked a guy in the head.”

“Was a pretty good shot though,” Louis mumbled. “Bet you didn’t think I still had it in me.”

“Dad!”

“I know, I know,” Louis sighed. “But where am I supposed to go? This house— It means everything to me.”

“I got you a spot at Shady Pine,” Wendy confessed, putting down the paperwork from the courts. She reached down to her purse, looking for the pamphlet Louis had seen stuffed in his mailbox almost everyday since Eleanor died.

“No,” he said, crossing his arms and leaning back in his chair. He refused. He still had life in him, if the bruise on that man's forehead was anything to go by, and there was no way he would ever step foot in Shady Pines, or any place like it for that matter.

“Would you rather go to jail?” Wendy asked.

“Same thing, isn’t it?”

“Enough,” Wendy sighed, finally finding the pamphlet in her purse and dropping it in front of Louis. “I’ve done a lot to get you this deal. And this room too. So at least give it a chance, okay? They’ll be here to pick you up in the morning, and I'll be there by the afternoon to help you unpack.”

*

Louis spent the next few hours gathering his things, tracing his fingers along the walls of the house as he did so. It tore him up to give it up. This was his house, his home. He had spent all his life making it perfect for his family, all while adding little touches of his true self along the way.

When he reached the top of his closet to pull out his suitcase, a few books came flying down with it, landing on the ground with a small thud.

Louis reached down to grab them, stopping when the old adventure book came into view.

He stopped packing after that, moving to flip through the book in his sitting room. He could barely remember the boy now, H, who had made these drawings. All these plans to travel the world and go on adventures. Louis remembers promising the same thing himself, and wondered if the boy had ended up just like him.

Sad, alone, living a lie.

He slammed the book shut, holding it to his chest. This was it. Tomorrow they were going to take his rainbow house from him. Destroy it as if it meant nothing. As if it wasn’t one of the best parts of Louis’ life. The one way to show off his true self.

Louis shook his head. He had given up enough in his life, and he wouldn't just sit back and mourn on it any longer.

Looking at the adventure book in his lap, Louis came up with a plan.

It was early in the morning when the Shady Pines van pulled up. Louis could see from his peephole, opening the door when two women came knocking.

“Hello Mr. Tomlinson, are you ready to go?” she practically cooed at him. It reminded Louis of how he would talk to his grandson, but he kept face.

“You know, I'd just like to say one last goodbye to the old gal, if you don't mind,” Louis said, tapping the doorframe.

The two women cooed even more, and took Louis’ suitcase, claiming they would give him a moment alone before they brought him to the car.

They continued to chat as they walked to the car, only looking back a minute later when they heard a creak, then a loud snap behind them.

Both women turned, staring in shock as thousands of balloons floated from the top of the house, in every colour imaginable.

The creaking sound happened again, then again louder, and suddenly the house was no longer on the ground, but floating in the air above them, hitting their car as it went.

Louis cackled from his back window, loving that he got one last hit at them as he left.

“So long suckers!” he yelled, then he slammed his window shut.

It took a while to get out of the city, and also for Louis to get full control of his steering as he led the house, hitting a few things on his way.

He took one last look at his town, something that was hardly recognizable to him anymore. “So long,” he mumbled, turning his makeshift wheel to steer the house south.

He pulled the adventure book out, along with a compass and map of Paradise Falls he had found lying around in his closet.

He sat in his chair, a happy sigh leaving his lips as he watched the world go by underneath him. It was the most at peace he had ever felt in his life, like he was finally able to just be.

It all came crashing down when he heard a knock at his door.

He froze, gripping the edges of his chair as he looked out the window. It couldn’t be, maybe he had dreamt this all up, and his plan didn’t work. It could be Shady Pines at his door right now, still ready to haul him away.

The clouds directly outside his window destroyed that theory pretty quickly, so when the knock sounded at the door, for the first time in ages, he ran.

Looking out the peephole, all he could see were clouds, the same ones he had just been viewing from his front window. He was wondering who was playing some sort of sick joke on him, and how they were pulling it off from so far away.

He threw open the door, just for good measure, and expecting to find nothing when Harry’s slow drawl from the other week interrupted his thoughts.

“Hiiii...” Harry mumbled. He was standing on the porch, white knuckles gripping tightly to the banister to hold himself in place.

“Harry? What are you doing here?” Louis asked, still holding onto his door.

“Well I thought since you wouldn’t sign my petition for Seaworld, that maybe you would sign one for the dolphin project. You see, I saw this documentary called The Cove and—” Harry gasped, when his dolphin project hat flew off his head, and down through the clouds to the land they couldn’t see anymore. “Can you please let me in?” he squeaked.

“No,” Louis said, slamming the door instinctually. It took him a moment to remember where they were, and that he no longer had to keep himself hidden away in his house. Plus, he didn't really have a choice, since they were in the middle of the sky. He cracked it open, looking Harry over before he opened it all the way.

“FIne, come in but—” He paused when Harry raced by him, clinging onto a wall in the house. He was breathing heavily and staring wide eyed at Louis.

“I may be a little afraid of heights,” he confessed, only loosening his grip when Louis closed the door.

“Really? I thought you were winded; that was a little fast for your age.”

“My age? I’m not old! I’m only 69!” Harry huffed, finally letting go of the wall.

Both men laughed at that, never too old for a 69 joke, apparently.

“So... where are you going?” Harry asked, dumping his bag on the floor as he made his way to the front room. He traced his fingers over the wheel Louis made, then looked over at the map.

“South America? Always wanted to go there,” Harry said, looking down over the map, then back at the wheel. Harry turned it, causing the house to move left then right, and causing Louis to stumble around.

“Hippie! Stop touching my things!” he yelled. Harry froze, turning around to grin at Louis as the house righted itself again.

“Oops,” Harry mumbled, biting his lip. Louis rolled his eyes, then crouched down near the fireplace to start untying the balloons.

“All this for nothing,” Louis grumbled, as Harry walked around him, inspecting the pictures on the wall.

“You know this place feels familiar,” Harry said. “Like I’ve been here before… were you ever in ‘Give a Hoot, Don’t Pollute’?”

“No.”

“Critter Connection?”

“No!”

“Metals for Petals?”

“NO!”

“What about Gays for Days?” Harry asked, coming up behind him as he scratched his chin in thought.

Louis froze, stopping mid cut as he turned towards Harry. “What's that?”

“It was this small group in the 70’s; helped people find love in the gay community. Kinda crumbled when the AIDS crisis hit, though.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Louis said, pulling back from all his balloon strings.

Harry shrugged. “Well, you know. What are you doing down there, anyway?”

“I’m trying to cut the balloons down, so I can get your hippie ass back on the ground,” Louis sighed. He popped his knee as he tried to find a more comfortable spot on the floor. He should have found a higher place than the fireplace to tie all his balloons.

“Were they always shaking like that?” Harry asked, pointing down at the strings.

“No,” Louis said, and for the first time since Harry entered his house he looked out the window. Where he was expecting to see clear skies, fluffy clouds, and a few birds was now pitch black. A low rumble sounded throughout the house.

“Shit” Louis mumbled, running up to the steering wheel.  
“You couldn’t have run that fast when I was on your porch?” Harry asked, following behind him.

“Will you just shut up and help me?” Louis yelled. As hard as he tried turn right, out of the direction of the storm, the wind was too strong, and the wheel flung out of his hands, spun around by the wind until they were tossed directly into the storm.

Flashes of light came around them, and the furniture was tossed around the room like it weighed nothing. Louis ran for the important things first; his family photo of Eleanor and Wendy, the painting on the way that he based his house off of, and finally his adventure book.

Harry seemed to just be holding on, watching the sky outside, until his own bag caught his attention.

“Shit,” he mumbled, wobbling though the living room to try and grab it. Louis watched in horror as Harry tripped, falling on top of his bag, and sliding down the hall as the front door flew open.

Louis dropped everything in his arms then, grabbing his cane and tossing it down the hall. Just as he had hopped, it hit the door, slamming it shut again, just in time for Harry to slam into it, bag in tow.

“Still got it,” Louis mumbled as Harry gave him a weak thumbs up.

*

“Louis? Still with me?” Harry teased, poking at Louis with his cane. Louis frowned, trying to swipe the cane away from his face.

“What happened?” He yawned, opening his eyes. They were clearly still in the sky, the bright sun coming through the windows no match for anything he’d ever seen on the ground. “Did we die? Am I stuck in the afterlife with you forever”

“No, idiot,” Harry said. “You fell asleep after tying all your stuff up. You should really start working towards a minimalist lifestyle if you ask me. It’s so freeing.”

“Harry.”

“Yeah?”

“The point?”

“Oh! Um, I used the GPS on my phone and steered us. We should be landing soon.”

“I didn’t know hippies used iPhones,” Louis teased, but was thankful for it. Wendy had tried to teach him many times to use a smartphone, but he just couldn’t get it. Having the GPS would be helpful, and they could find their landing spot a lot easier without the guessing game.

He watched as a gust of wind came through the broken window, a casualty from the storm, and threw the phone out of Harry’s hand, falling to the same fate his hat had.

“I guess I don’t,” Harry said, and both men started laughing; Louis more of a laugh-cry on how bad everything had actually gone in the past 24 hours.

“I’ll start getting us down, then you can find a bus home. Or a new charity group, that seems more fitting,” Louis said, kneeling down at the fireplace to cut some of the balloon strings down.

“I don’t think there's many buses in Paradise Falls,” Harry teased. “You may be stuck with me awhile longer.”

“How do you know we’re going to Paradise Falls?” Louis asked. He looked over to where his furniture was all tied down, noticing the adventure book tucked neatly away with the rest of his things. He wasn’t sure why he was so protective of the book, or his plans, but something about this whole thing made him feel vulnerable.

“It was circled on your map yesterday,” Harry said, flipping through some of the papers on the floor to find it. Louis stopped him, not wanting Harry to find anything more about him than he already had.

“Well, looks like we’re headed down now,” Louis said, walking over to his front door. They were headed through the clouds, so it wouldn’t be that much longer until they landed, and Louis needed to make sure he hit just the right spot.

Harry was behind him in an instant, standing in the doorway and watching as they descended.

“What happened to being afraid of heights?” Louis asked, turning to face him. “Look at your face! You can’t even be near the doorway!” he teased.

“No! Lou, look!” Harry pointed. To the left of the house, only inches away from hitting it, was a tall cliff peak, almost looking like a stack of rocks through the mist of the clouds they were still in.

“Huh? We can’t be close to the ground yet!” Louis mumbled. He gripped onto the beam of his porch, leaning over to get a closer look, and what he saw was the rocky ground, only a few feet beneath them.

“Fuck!” he yelled, and then the house was smashing on the ground, sending both he and Harry flying onto the rocky pavement in front of them.  
It was only seconds when Louis looked up, and the house was off the ground again, starting to float over their heads and away from him.

He got up quick, stumbling after the house trying to jump to grab onto any piece of it. The hose was dragging down, and when he saw Harry running beside him he knew they had it.

Harry grabbed onto the hose, watching as it spun off its wheel, letting the house pull away further. When it ran out, instead of the house stopping, Harry’s feet lifted off the ground, dragging him away. “Um, Lou!” he yelled.

Louis was off in a run again, with the hose and now Harry, he had a much better line from the house to the ground.

He grabbed Harry’s pant leg, watching his trousers start to slip from his waist before he got a better grip on his leg.

“Why don’t you take me on a date before you try to take my clothes off,” Harry teased, grip still tight on the hose as he was still a few feet off the ground.

Louis thought he had him, ready to give back some snarky remark when the wind blew again, causing his feet to slip across the rocky pavement.

“Don’t let go!” Louis yelled, as he tried to keep his own grip on Harry. As much as he worried for the safety of the man, he couldn’t lose his house. He had come so far already, and he wouldn’t lose it all last minute because of some wind.

It took a few minutes of the house dragging them further into the cliffs. Louis could barely see a thing, clouds covering most of wherever they were.

But just as they came, they left quickly. The wind and clouds cleared, leaving Louis and Harry just barely dangling from the house.

When Louis’ feet hit the ground, he was able to pull Harry down, grabbing the hose so his home couldn’t blow away if the wind picked up again.

“Where are we?” he mumbled, turning around to try and get his bearings straight. All he could see were rocks and cliffs.

“Paradise Falls,” Harry said, and when Louis turned to face his direction, he gasped.

Off in the distance was the exact photo he had been looking at since he was a child, only now it was real.

It was a flat cliff, so high up in the sky it almost touched the fluffy clouds above it. It had a single waterfall, sliding down the middle and into lush greenery below.

It was the most beautiful thing Louis had ever seen.

“There it is,” he mumbled, almost in shock that his dream was sitting there, right in front of him. “We can float right over there! Harry, climb up the hose, then pull me up.”

Harry laughed mockingly, stood beside him and made no effort to move. “No fucking way Louis, we’re in our 70’s! Too old for that.”

“I thought you said you were only 69?” Louis teased, causing both of them to giggle. He stopped when the house lifted again, causing him to move on his tiptoes. Harry grabbed the hose again, thankfully just enough taller than Louis that he could hold it with no issue.

Louis walked so he could get a closer look at the falls, shoulder slumping as he watched it from the distance.

“I came all this way, only to land on the wrong fucking side,” he said, covering his face with his hands.

Harry walked beside him, dragging the house along with him. “I mean, we could walk across the falls. It's a bit of a way but there's definitely a path.”

“We could— What?”

“The house floats, right? We could just walk it to the other side, like a Macy’s Day parade, just a floating house, and not one of their floating— things.”

“You would do that? That's a far walk...” Louis trailed off, eyes following the path they would need to take to get to the other side of the falls. Lucky for him, there did seem to be a flat pathway, and if he could remember correctly from his childhood, Muntz used to walk through this cliff all the time.

“I want to, this has been a dream since my childhood,” Harry confessed. “Besides, my bag fell when we fell, so I've got my camera. I can probably take loads of photos for my environmental group. We’re just starting out our instagram, @leavesnofootprint.”

“We’re going to pretend you stopped talking after dream since childhood.”

*

“Harry, the helium on these balloons is only going to last us three days! At best! We’ve got to keep moving.”

“Just one more,” Harry said, wandering off the path to snap another picture. Louis cursed under his breath, but took the moment to use the hose to tie the house around the tree and take a break.

Louis wouldn’t deny it, he was glad Harry was there, but he was also extremely annoyed by the man. He must have taken about a hundred pictures by now, and he didn't know how much time they had left.

Harry must have wandered into the woods because Louis could barely see him anymore between the thick trees. He could hear footsteps though, so he knew Harry was still alive.

Louis held his compass out, trying to make sure they were still going in the right direction. When they first started walking, it seemed like a clear path with only flat rock in front of them, but once they got going, a forest of trees slowly started to cover their path until their current path where the path was completely covered, only a little bits of sunlight eating the leaves and bushes near the ground. Louis didn't know how Harry could still be taking pictures in the dark.

“Louis! You won't believe this! I just found a bird that my group birdistheword thought was extinct. Can you help me tie him up I want to bring him with us,” Harry said as he ran up behind Louis.

Louis rolled his eyes. “How are we supposed to tie up a tiny little bird?” he asked before turning around and seeing a giant rainbow bird towering over both he and Harry.

The bird looked stupid. It’s eyes poked out and faced different directions while only three little feathers stuck out from its tiny head. It was the body that was beautiful; it was huge, feathers in almost every colour Louis could imagine. But it stood on tall chicken like legs that would have made Louis giggle if he wasn't scared of the thing.

“Harry, we're not taking this thing with us,” Louis said. “We already have enough on our plate, and I'm not bringing some giant monster bird that, with our luck, will probably eat us in our sleep.”

Just to make its point, the bird squawked loudly right in Louis’ face. But because nothing in Louis’ life was simple, the bird moved its beak to nose around Harry's neck and then it somehow held the man in what could best be described as a hug.

“No he's gentle, Lou, he seems to like me.”

“Maybe he likes you now but things change at night when he's hungry. Do you even know what the bird is called?”

“Kevin,” Harry said easily.

“That's not the name of the species.”

“No, it's the name I gave to him right now. Kevin, be nice to Louis, he's our friend,” Harry told the bird. Kevin somehow seemed to understand Harry and knocked Louis on the head 3 times with his beak as some odd sign of friendship.

“Come on, beat it, bird,” Louis said, whipping his cane towards the beast. The bird swallowed it, then choked, coughed, and spit it out beside Louis, now covered in disgusting amounts of slobber.

Louis had enough. He walked up to the bird, waving his hands and making a shooing motion. “Get out of here, you're not coming with us,” he said.

The bird, smarter than he thought, only seemed to mimic his waving. Its two small wings moved in the same motion Louis’ just had, while also making a “blah blah blah blah blah” sound to copy Louis’ yelling.

Harry cackled beside them as Louis tried again and again only to get the same response.

Louis grumbled to himself, grabbing his now sticky cane, and walked off with a huff towards his house. The bird didn't stop mimicking him however, making the same huffy noise as it also trotted its way towards Louis’ house.

This only made Harry laugh harder.

“We’re not taking the bird with us,” Louis said, reaching to pull the hose off the tree branch he had stored it on.

“His name is Kevin,” Harry corrected easily. “And I’m not taking him, but I think he’s decided to come with us on his own.”

Louis didn’t want to look back, but he could already hear the footsteps and odd squawks coming from behind as the bird followed them down the path.

“Wait, stop! Louis this is a perfect picture, just give me a minute,” Harry said, running off the pathway again. Louis could do nothing but stop and roll his eyes.

*  
They finally stopped when they hit the edge of the forest. It was dark by then, and the tree covering would make a safer sleep than the rocky ground that was ahead of them.

Louis could see the falls in the distance, closer than they were this morning but still just out of reach. It was quiet enough that he could even hear the waterfall, unless Kevin started jabbering on again.

Harry had been feeding the bird the whole time, getting Kevin to follow them down the forest path, and was now making sure he had a place comfortable enough to rest. Though Louis was still unsure of the huge thing, he wouldn’t deny that he found it cute when Harry was taking care of him.

Louis found his own comfortable place for the night, a pile of palm leaves he was able to stack up comfortably enough to rest. What he didn’t expect was Harry to lay down right behind him, practically spooning him as he tried to share the pile of leaves Louis had made.

“Get your own,” Louis said, trying to shove Louis off. He was weak from dragging his house along all day, so his shoves did little to move Harry.

“I did, but Kevin wanted it. And yours is big enough to share.”

“Is it? You're practically on top of me.”

“Maybe I’m doing it on purpose,” Harry said. Louis didn't have to look at him to see the wink that came along with it.

They went silent after that, the only noises around Louis now a few crickets and the falls. Harry was probably waiting for Louis to say something back, either just a witty remark, carrying on their banter, or something more. Louis could do neither. His body was frozen in place with how nervous he was. He hadn’t felt like this since high school when he had kissed a boy behind the bleachers, and a teacher almost caught them.

“Harry?” he asked, moving forward to give himself a little more space on their leaf bed.

“Hmm?” Harry hummed. Louis could feel it on the back of his neck.

Louis wanted to ask. The signs were obviously there. Harry was gay. He seemed out and okay with it, but Louis couldn’t muster up the courage to bring it up, so instead he asked,

“Why are you in so many clubs?”

“They’re charity groups,” Harry corrected. He seemed to get the hint, turning away from Louis to lay on his back. Louis was glad he didn’t have to look at him. The blush on his cheek would clearly give away what he was actually thinking about.

“Okay, charity groups. Why are you in so many charity groups?” Louis asked again. He turned as well, laying on his back to watch the stars poke through the trees. It was calming, and Louis was pretty sure he could spend the rest of his life here like this. Even with Harry.

Harry coughed, taking his time to answer the question, something Louis hadn’t seen him do since they met. Harry talked slower, sure, but Louis didn’t think he could ever get him to stop talking, didn’t think this would be such a sore subject.

“You don’t have to—”

“When I was younger,” Harry started, speaking at the same time as Louis.

Both of them laughed, Louis sparing the man a glance as he did.

“When I was younger, I fell in love with this adventurer, Muntz,” Harry started. “And I know you did too, or we wouldn’t be here.”

Louis nodded, following Harry’s eyes back up to the stars.

“Probably every little boy at the time did, but I, um, I realized a lot later on that I liked him for a different reason,” Harry confessed. “And as much as I tried to deny it, tried to show my crush on him was just liking environmental stuff, and well, it obviously never went away.”

“So, obviously at the time that wasn't exactly accepted, and now I had all this environmental knowledge. So I used it as a way to make friends.” Harry sighed. “Not too many people were actually out at the time, and even ones who were usually just wanted hookup. It was nice to be a part of charities. They were like little families, ones I never got. They still are.”

Louis watched him now, not able to take his eyes off of Harry’s face as a small tear rolled down his cheek. Louis wiped it away for him, unsure if it was too much for two people who had just met.

“I just. I never got the life I wanted. I always wanted a big house I could fill with a husband and kids. I wanted to be a Dad so bad, Louis, you don’t even know,” Harry said. He was starting to cry now, and all Louis could do was hold him through it.

“I tried to make my life the best I could under the circumstances I had. I wish things could have been different, like they are now. But I’ll never regret all the people I helped along the way, and the animals.” He sniffed.

“You’re brave, Harry. So, so brave,” Louis whispered, not wanting to break the spell around them.

“You think?” Harry asked, wiping away a few more stray tears as he looked over at Louis.

“I know,” Louis said easily, trying to wish away all the new thoughts crowding his mind, ones of him and Harry, in his rainbow home together, at the top of Paradise Falls. He couldn’t get his hopes up though; he had let himself down his entire life.

*

The new area they were walking was thankfully flat, and if they kept up at the pace they were going, they would probably make it to the falls by the next morning.

Harry was still feeding Kevin, in an attempt to keep the bird with them while not actually trapping him. Louis wanted to roll his eyes at it, but he couldn’t keep butterflies out of his stomach every time the bird did something cute and Harry would throw him a dimpled smile.

Louis turned back, trying to keep up appearances, but he couldn’t wipe the smile off his face. “Hey, I can see you back there! Shoo!” he teased, waving his cane at the two of them.

Kevin squawked at Louis, copying his tone again and rustling his feathers. The bird ran, though, when another voice sounded in the barren clifftop.

“Hello? Is everyone okay up there?” the voice echoed. Louis looked directly at Harry, expecting this to be some kind of joke when he looked around and saw nothing.

The clouds had set in again, so he had to squint, but he could see a man shaped figure off in the distance.

“Ohh, um. Hello, sir! Thank goodness! It’s good to know someone else is up here,” Louis said, walking towards the man. Harry followed behind him, though a bit more skeptical about the whole thing. You wouldn’t expect to find anyone else somewhere so deserted

“I can smell you,” the man said, and Louis stopped in his tracks, holding his arm out to keep Harry behind him. Of course they would find some crazy meth head up here; who else would it be?

“You can what?” Louis called out, keeping enough distance from that figure that they could run if they needed to.

He squinted, trying to get a better look at the man, when another gust of wind hit, blowing the clouds away to show two oddly shaped rocks, and definitely not a man.

“Hey—” Louis frowned.

Harry snickered behind him. “You were talking to a rock. We really are going crazy,” he said, taking a few steps in front of Louis. “I give it to you, though, they are kinda people shaped. Except that one, that one looks like a dog,” Harry said.

The dog shaped figure moved suddenly, causing Harry to jump back to stand beside Louis as a large black poodle looking dog came up to them.

“What, you’re not scared of a giant bird but you’re afraid of a little dog?” Louis teased, kneeling down. “Come here boy,” he said, scratching at the dog’s chin.

“We have your dog!” Louis yelled out to whoever was talking to them before. He looked around, but couldn’t see much with the fog still rolling around them.

“Sit boy, I'll go find your owner,” Louis said. The dog sat down immediately, causing Harry to slowly walk up to them.

“He’s pretty well trained,” Harry mumbled. “Shake,” he said, holding a hand out for the dog to shake. The dog placed his paw in Harry, hand causing the man to smile.

“Speak,” Harry said, trying to see what else he could do.

“Hi,” the dog said, collar glowing red as he did.

Both Louis and Harry gasped, Louis looking between the dog and Harry.

“Did he just... say hello? Or are we back in the 60’s on acid again?” Louis mumbled, shaking his head. It had to have been the heat, and the fact that they had very little food and water in the last 24 hours.

“Oh yes,” The dog said, turning to stand up, walking towards Louis. Louis couldn’t help the scream that came out of him.

“My name is Clifford. I have just met you and I love you,” the dog spoke, tail wagging behind him. The voice sounded almost robotic, but new age robotic, and it was definitely coming from the dog.

“My master made this collar so I am able to talk. He is a good and smart master and that is why he made this collar,” the dog said, still panting and wagging his tail in front of Louis.

Harry leaned down, inspecting the collar. It had to black knobs and a little red light on the front that blinked wherever the dog, Clifford, started to talk.

“What do these do?” he asked the dog, already turning the knobs with gentle fingers.

“I use that - per cambiare il mio - lenguaje porque - pas tout le monde -puhuu englantia - would you stop that please,” Clifford said, flipping to a new language every time Harry turned the knob.

“Don’t touch that, Harry! Who knows where it came from!” Louis said, trying to pull Harry away from the talking dog. He swore he was losing it, or that they had died along the way and not realized it. Anything made more sense than a talking dog. A dog who just happened to not shut up, just like Harry.

“I am a great tracke., I am on the scent. Have you seen a birb, my master sent me looking for one, because I am a great tracker. Have I mentioned how good a tracker I am?” the dog asked.

Kevin, in that moment, ran up to them, seemingly trying to protect Harry as the giant thing tackled the dog down. The dog wagged his tail, looking up at the bird now sitting on top of him.

“Oh look! The birb! May I take your birb back to camp as my prisoner?” the dog asked. Louis felt like he was going to faint, as he clutched his cane tightly.

“Yes, whatever you want. Just go,” Louis said, trying to get them walking again.

“Lou! Come on, he’s so cute! Can’t we keep him?” Harry asked, his obvious fear of the dog gone now that it was talking to them.

“There’s no ‘we’ about this, do whatever you want,” Louis said, resigned. He still swore one of the plants they ate that morning was making them high, like some sort of mushroom or something.

“Come on, boy!” Harry said, waving for Clifford and Kevin to follow. Clifford still didn’t shut up, following the bird’s every move.

“Follow me, birb. You are my prisoner. Please be my prisoner,” Clifford said, robotic voice hollowly echoing through the cliffside.

*

“Cliff, stop bothering Kevin,” Harry groaned. The dog was now practically being dragged by one of the bird’s giant feet.

“I will not. That man over there said I could take the birb. And I love that man there like he is my master,” Clifford said, still not letting go of Kevin's foot.

“I am not your master!” Louis yelled, groaning as they had to stop again so Harry could pull the two animals apart. “Now hurry up, we only have so much time to get to the falls,” Louis said.

He wasn’t watching where he was going, instead looking up to check the balloons. He took too many steps forward, knocking the house into a nearby cliff that smashed the front window. He grimaced, turning back to the three that all stood there looking guilty.

“I’ve had enough!” Louis huffed. “I don't want you here and I don’t want you here,” he said, pointing his cane to the two animals. “I’m stuck with you, but you’re growing on me,” Louis told Harry, causing the man to blush slightly.

Clifford's eyes followed his cane, the four tennis balls at the bottom catching his attention. “A ball! Look! Four of them!” Clifford said, tail wagging behind him.

“You want this? Go fetch,” Louis yelled, ripping one of the balls off his cane and tossing it away back into the rocky cliffs behind them.

Clifford was off in an instant, running out of Louis’ sight within seconds. Louis made quick work, grabbing Kevin’s leaves from Harry’s hand and tossing them the same way he sent the ball, Kevin running after them without a thought.

He grabbed Harry’s hand, pulling him off the path they were following and through the bushes.

“What are you doing?” Harry asked, jogging alongside him trying to keep up. The faster they seemed to go, the more trouble Louis got in.

His house knocked the top of a tree, breaking another window and the top of the tree almost falling down on them. Next, he slid down a hill he didn’t notice, only a few inches from falling on his ass. He tripped in a pond and struggled to climb up another cliffside all while dragging a yelling Harry right behind him.

“What the hell are you doing?” Harry yelled, for the hundredth time, once they were at the top of the new cliff trying to catch their breaths.

“Trying to get rid of those stupid animals so we can actually keep moving,” Louis spit out, heaving between words.

“Hi Master,” Clifford said, standing right beside Louis with the tennis ball in his mouth. Kevin was not far behind, happily munching on a mouthful or leaves.

Louis scoffed and looked over at Harry, who had a bright smile on his face as he took the tennis ball, throwing it again.

*

It rained the second night, and Louis was so glad for Harry’s insistence to sleep close together because it was colder than he expected.

The house was starting to lower. Louis could tell by the way he could see the piping and wood underneath it, but it was thankfully holding up against the rain, and keeping them dry as it floated overhead.

“I wish I had my painting supplies here. This would have been such a neat place to paint.”

“You’re a painter? You had time between all your charities?” Louis teased, though he pulled Harry a bit closer to him, their newly made leaf pile not as big as the last one.

“Well, I had to make money somehow,” Harry laughed.

“Oh, so you were actually good then,” Louis said, actually serious for once.

Harry turned to face him, face so close to Louis’ he could see the boys features without his glasses. “So, I told you my story, why don't you tell me yours?”

“Not much to tell,” Louis said.

“Oh come on, you’ve probably got loads of adventures on your plate, if this is what you do in your 70’s.”

“None, actually. This is my first,” Louis confessed. He watched the way Harry’s face twisted in confusion. “I had a wife, a beautiful daughter, and lived my life as a balloon salesman if you can believe it,” he said, looking up. Even while they were covered by the bottom of the house, he could still see a few loose balloons floating in the rain alongside them. Harry watched them as well.

“I can believe it. What I can’t believe is this is your first. I mean you flew your house up with balloons for fuck’s sake! Can’t get anymore adventurous than that. Were you at least happy? With your family...”

Louis let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding in, and looked back up at the cloudy sky. Somehow, a few stars were still peaking through, lighting up the sky around them. Louis didn’t know what it was but something about the falls made him finally want to tell the truth.

“No,” he said, a hot wave of tears coming unexpectedly to his eyes. “I mean, it wasn’t horrible. I love my daughter Wendy so much.” He paused, taking a deep breath. “I loved my wife too, just not how you're supposed to.”

Louis felt a warm grip on his hand, then felt Harry squeezing it with his own. “I understand.”

“There was no way to win,” Louis whispered.

“No, there wasn’t.”

*

“Louis! Louis, wake up!” Harry said, shaking him gently. “You’ve gotta see this.”

“What?” Louis said, reaching around to find his glasses. Harry was already up and looking at something with Clifford, Kevin nowhere in sight. “What’s going on?” Louis asked.

“It's Kevin! He— she has babies, Lou! She's not as extinct as we thought.”

“That’s amazing, Harry, good for her, and your animal— whatever club cared about this.”

“We have to follow her, make sure she gets to her babies safely. And I need to count how many, they’re going to want to know what we saw before they send people out.”

“Send people out? We don’t have time, Harry. We’ve lost enough on this nonsense already! Can’t you see? The house is already starting to come down, and if we don’t make it to the falls then what was the point of any of this.”

“Lou—” Harry frowned, looking between where Kevin had run off and the house.

Before Louis could fight him, he could hear a low growl coming from the bushes, sounding almost like Clifford, but with the dog happily panting he ruled him out pretty quick.

More robotic voices could be heard, sounding like a mumbled conversation before more dogs came into view, all wearing collars like Cliffords.

They all started barking then, some sort of conversation going between the three new dogs and Clifford that wasn’t through their collars. Louis was almost grateful, but he was interested in what was going on. He grabbed Harry’s hand, trying to back away slowly when one of the bigger dogs stopped them.

“You! Come with us,” he said, red collar lighting up with his words.

Louis shook his head. “We’re good, just going to head out actually,” he mumbled.

Two more dogs came up behind them, barking and growling like nothing Louis had ever seen. They were surrounded by all the dogs, the biggest one claiming they would take them to his master for questioning. Louis wasn’t sure they would make it out alive.

“Maybe this is good, we can find out who's smart enough to teach these guys how to talk...” Harry said. He still had a tight grip on Louis’ hand, so only he knew how actually scared Harry was.

“You're right, could be a really cool guy, Harry. Only sane people lock themselves on a cliff with horads of talking dogs, right?”

Louis turned back, watching as they slowly walked away from the falls, seeing a few balloons floating towards it in the distance. When he looked back up at his house, lower than the night before, all he could do was pray.

*

The closer they got to whoever the “master” was, the more dogs that seemed to appear, all wearing the same collar. Louis could see hundreds at this point, and more kept coming as they walked.

The path the dogs were leading them down had high cliffs around it, Louis’ house just barely squeezing between them as he dragged it behind them.

They only stopped when the two cliffs came together, forming a giant cave. The opening was pitch black, a huge contrast to the bright sun they were standing in. The only thing visible were the glowing eyes of more dogs, the growls being heard before they could see their full bodies.

The leader of the pack, and the dog who had summoned them stood watching as all the other dogs started to surround them. Clifford stood between him and Harry with his tail between his legs.

The dogs got closer, and Louis wasn’t sure how nasty it was about to get, when a man came from the mouth of the cave, holding his hand up.

“Stay,” he said simply. All the dogs around them stopped in their tracks, growls silenced.

Louis couldn’t see the man’s face, but he could watch his eyes, moving from his floating house, back down to him and Harry.

“You came in that?” the man questioned, almost in disbelief.

“I mean—ugh, yeah?” Louis stuttered out. He let go of Harry’s hand, not wanting this guy to catch onto anything he wouldn’t like.

The man laughed, finally walking out of the mouth of the cave. He was frail looking, holding a cane like Louis’, but looked years older than him.

“That is unbelievable,” he said, starting to laugh harder at the thought. Louis and Harry laughed along with him. Louis kept his mouth shut but wanted to really tell him what was unbelievable. How could a man with talking dogs make fun of a floating house?

“You’re not after my bird, are you?” the man laughed “Why are you here? Looking to borrow a cup of sugar?”

Louis kept laughing along, not wanting to set the crazy man off, but also still very confused. The dogs seemed to start laughing with him, tails wagging and looking not even half as menacing as before.

“This is all a mistake, my dogs thought you were someone else,” the man said, walking closer to the two of them.

When Louis finally got a good look at him, his features seemed similar, looking like someone he would have seen before, years ago. He shifted his glasses and took a step forward when it all hit him.

The movie he had seen, Muntz’s final one. He had brought back the bones of a bird, one they all thought was fabricated, so he had taken off back to the falls in search of his bird, never to be heard from again.

“Are you Charles Muntz?” Louis asked in disbelief.

“The one and only.” Muntz smiled, walking up to shake their hands.

“No way,” Harry said, not letting go of Muntz’s hand go as he shook it. Muntz just chuckled.

“Adventure is out there!” he said, giving them both his signature thumbs up. Louis felt like he could faint, and if it wasn’t from the weight of his house holding him up, he probably would have.

“I’m probably your biggest fan,” Louis said, finally getting Harry to let go of Muntz to shake the man's hand himself.

“No way, I dedicated my life to wildlife, just for you,” Harry said, and Louis swore Harry's tone was flirting.

“Great taste, the both of you,” Muntz chuckled. “Would you like to come in? You hungry?” he asked, guiding them towards the cave. Both men followed Muntz blindly like the rest of his dogs.

“Starved,” Harry finally said, breaking the awkward silence around them.

“Great! Boys! These are our guests! They will be treated with top respect, got it?” Muntz said. All the dogs around ether nodded in agreement or gave a “yes, master” as a reply.

“You can park your ship right there,” Muntz said, pointing to an anchor right beside where his own ship was tied.

“Is that the Spirit of Adventure?” Louis asked, looking up at the blimp in awe. Harry was right beside him, grabbing onto his hand.

“Louis, this is unreal! Do we get to go inside?” Harry asked, practically hopping up and down beside him.

Louis couldn’t believe his eyes; he felt giddy like a child again. This whole thing threw him back to his childhood, and the adventure book sitting right up in his house.

“Would you like to?” Muntz asked, opening the ramp to climb in. Louis didn’t need to be told twice, so the next moment he was dragging Harry up along with him, still in shock that anything like this could happen to him of all people.

*

Muntz gave them a tour of his whole ship, from his bedroom to the kitchen, but they spent the most time in his personal museum.

He led them through it slowly, showing fossils and skeletons of all the animals he had ever discovered. He had a story for each one, with Louis and Harry on the tip of their toes drinking in every detail.

More dogs were in the ship, some working around them to dust the bones, others bringing various things to Muntz as he spoke. One dog even poured them three glasses of champagne to enjoy as they wandered through the huge museum.

When they finally came to the end, Harry’s stomach growled loudly. Louis was surprised when his own had done the same. Muntz just laughed it off.

“Follow me, boys, you must be hungry,” he said, leading them into an immaculate dining room.

The dogs pulled out their chairs for them, and if it wasn’t Muntz in front of him, Louis would really be questioning his reality. The same dog handed them napkins, then put fresh plates in front of them. Louis was so hungry he could have eaten anything, but the fresh salmon in front of him looked like the tastiest thing he had ever seen.

“My compliments to the chef,” Louis said, folding his napkin over his lap before he started to dig in.

Harry seemed to hesitate, looking around the room as multiple dogs worked around them. “Was the chef— a dog?” he asked, looking between Muntz and his food.

Muntz laughed at Harry, the same cackle from when he had seen Louis’ house. It didn’t give either of them a straight answer, but Harry seemed to dig in anyway.

“You fellas crack me up.”

“You know, it was because of you that we made our way down here,” Louis said. “I had seen your movies as a child, had a book with all your travels,” he confessed. “Really inspired me to just take the final leap, and Harry here, he dedicated all his life’s work to you. The most charitable man I’ve ever met,” Louis said proudly, as he tapped Harry's thigh gently. He missed the man's blush, too focused on his childhood hero in front of him.

“Well I’m glad. Paradise Falls is really something, isn’t it?” Muntz said, looking out his window. Louis’ home was in view, the balloons only holding it up a few feet off the ground now.

“It's so great to finally have some company. And not the kind trying to steal my life's work, if you know what I mean,” Muntz said. Harry choked on his food, Louis was too enamoured by the man in front of him to notice.

Muntz stood up, walking over to the only skeleton he kept out of his museum.

“They called me a fraud, you know? But once I bring back this bird, my name will be cleared. Beautiful, isn’t it?” Muntz asked.

Harry coughed again, this time choking on his drink. Louis gave him a look and whacked him on the back once for good measure, wondering what had gotten into the man.

“I’ve spent my life tracking down this bird. Sometimes sightings are years apart. It keeps going here,” Muntz said, pointing to the centre of the map with his cane. “Once you’re in there, you can’t get out. Lost so many dogs,” he mumbled.

Harry let out a little squeak, peeking out the window. Louis gripped his leg to shut him up.

“And then these bandits. These horrible thieves come here thinking they can just take my life's work,” Muntz scoffed. “But they soon find this mountain is a very horrible place...”

“I think we need to go, Louis,” Harry said, standing up so quick the table vibrated, almost knocking Louis’ glass over.

“Why? I’m having a wonderful time,” Louis said, picking up his glass to hold in a cheers for Muntz.

“Your house, Lou! We don’t have much time, like you said. So we should really get going...”

“My house? My house doesn’t matter, not when we get to spend time with the Charles Muntz. Harry, what's gotten into you?” Louis asked, moving to brush a hand over Harry’s forehead to check if he was fervish.

“Your house,” Muntz said, finally looking out the window, his face turning grim when he did. “You know, Louis, many men have come here, all of them telling pretty interesting stories.”

Harry gulped. Louis followed Muntz’s eyes out the window, where Kevin stood proudly on the roof, almost mixing in with all the balloons.

“You know. Harry’s right, we should get going,” Louis said, starting to back away from the man.

“One came here to build a map, or so he claimed,” Muntz said, following them one step at a time. “One to study local flora. But this. An on man on an adventure, off to float his house to the falls. That's got to be the most interesting lie I’ve ever heard,” Muntz chuckled darkly. “I can’t wait to see how it ends.”

“Go!” Louis yelled, running out of the room and down the hall with Harry pulling him along. He was grateful now that they had such a tour, because they were easily able to navigate as Muntz and all his dogs chased after them.

He could hear Kevin’s call as they got close to the exit, Louis hitting the button to shut it on their way out, hoping it would give them enough of the head start they needed.

Harry untied the house from the anchor, then kept running along toward the mouth of the cave, dragging it along behind him.

They stopped in place, when all the dogs from outside came running towards them, loud barks echoing through the cave. When they turned back the exit was opening again, more dogs piling out towards them.

“Down here, master!” Clifford yelled from a side exit of the cave. Louis could see the faint light coming from around the corner.

They both ran, as fast as their older bodies would take them, all the way to an edge with a steep rocky jump down. There was no way the two of them would be able to climb down it.

“Do you trust me?” Louis asked.

Harry nodded. “I do,” he said.

“Then hold on,” Louis said, grabbing the man's waist. Harry wrapped his arms around Louis’ neck, as Louis grabbed the hose, jumping off the edge, the house causing them to only gently fall down the edge. It took a few times to get all the way down, Louis landing on a few rocks along the way, but they did it, and were able to quickly start running again.

The problem was, though Louis and Harry were slower, the dogs were not. They were already running down the rocky edge with ease and within minutes would catch up with them.

Kevin came down off the house, just as the first few dogs were coming off the rocks, and threw Harry and Louis on its back, running way faster than they ever could.

Louis guided his home, trying to dodge the rocks best he could. The sound of balloons popping was almost louder than the dogs at this point.

Kevin ran them out of the cave, following Clifford on a well practised path, but the dogs didn’t give up, still running slightly behind them.

Louis kept a tight grip on the hose, but a tighter grip on Harry once the bird started jumping over rocks in ways the dogs couldn’t keep up with. She hit a ledge, one too far to jump over, but they didn’t have much choice with the dogs catching up using another path, and the house catching a gust of wind.

“Hold on,” Louis yelled again, grabbing onto Clifford last second.

The four of them easily floated across the cavern, while all Muntz’ dogs were forced to stop, turning back around to find their master looking for instructions on what to do next.

Kevin let out a low cry that had Harry on his knees in a second  
“She’s hurt Lou” he frowned, From the space they had landed on, they could hear her babies calling out to her. She only gave a pain squawk in return

“We have to get her to them. They’re so close to extinction Lou” Harry frowned.

Louis looked between harry, and his home, wanting nothing more to leave the bird and continue on their journey. The look on Harry's face though, pained him. Harry had already been through enough in his life, from what he had told Louis. And he couldn’t let him go through another terrible thing. Not when those beautiful green eyes were looking at him like that.

“Okay, yeah. Lets go. But we’ve got to be quick, these balloons done have much else in ‘em”

Harry nodded, taking Louis' hand and walking towards were they could hear the small cries, Louis turning watching as they moved further away from the falls.

*

Instead of just letting the house float along with them, Louis and Harry now had the drag it, the balloons not holding it up enough to go on it’s own. They had Kevin sitting on the front porch, the bird having been able to fly a few feet up, but not much else.

“I don’t see my pack. They are not following us” Cliff said in his robotic voice. Louis gave his head a good scratch, watching as the dog ran around them to make sure everything was safe.

It was silent for a while, only creaking sounds coming from the house now. It was nighttime, normally when they would stop, but Louis didn’t want to waste any time, couldn’t waste any by the looks of his house

“So, Muntz was way more fucked than I thought” Harry said, interrupting Louis’ thoughts

Louis chuckled, shaking his head “They do say don’t meet your heroes”

Harry laughed along with him, when a thought popped into Louis’ head

“Hey, how did you know Kevin is extinct, or was. I thought they didn’t believe Muntz discovered it, called him a fraud and all that”

Harry smiled “If crazy cave man would have come out of his lair for once, he would have known that another one was discovered years ago, then the species claimed extinct when it died.”

“So he’s just- basically ruined his whole life for a dream” Louis said.

“Yup”  
“And if he just would have stayed home, they would have believed him a few years later. And he wouldn't be all” Louis motioned his hand around his head, as if to say crazy

“Yup” Harry chuckled “You know, sometimes I think the boring stuff, the everyday life stuff, are the things people regret missing most”

“What do you mean?” Louis frowned, eyes knitting together

“Take Muntz for example, so easy to take in two strangers”

“Though he tried to kill us within the hour” Louis added

“Yes, but, he was so desperate for human interaction, that he took in two literal stanger, wined and dined us, even though we could have been horrible people. We could have been the ones trying to kill him, yet he didn’t even care” harry said “He has been all over the world, the stuff people only dream about, but he would probably trade it all away just for a friend”

“You’re right,” Louis said, taking a moment to think everything over “It was really the boring stuff, or what I thought was boring at the time, that I remember most about my life.”

“And it's probably the boring stuff that you regret missing out on, too”

“Well, Mr. deep, what's the boring stuff you missed out on, the ones you regret?” Louis asked.

Harry went silent, seemingly lost in thought trying to come up with his answer. Louis took the time to look around them, checking how close they were getting to the drop off point of the bird, and wondering if it all mattered anymore.

“I wish I could have had a relationship” Harry finally said, though it was barely above a whisper. Louis had to lean walk closer just to hear him

“I mean, I had relationships. But not actual ones.”

“Because people we’re brave enough” Louis remembered. But Harry didn’t have to tell him, he knew from his own fear what it was like to force yourself in the closet, hell, even just holding hand like they were now wouldn't have been acceptable ten years ago.

“Exactly” Harry said, a small frown forming on his face “And it was the small stuff I missed, you know? Someone to cuddle with, dance in the rain. Someone who wanted to kiss me, knowing it wouldn’t go anywhere but just that.”

“I mean, i could have gotten into a relationship, if i wanted to. But the men who were available-”

“Skeezy?” Louis asked

“No, Married” Harry frowned “And i just couldn’t do that. Couldn’t go behind some poor woman's back and ruin her life. Her confidence. My father cheated on my mother, the aftermath was terrible”

“I never cheated on Eleanor, thought about it a few times but I never could. Just couldn’t imagine the look on her face knowing i’d gone behind her back like that. Would be horrible” Louis confessed

“Thats hornerabe” Harry said earnestly

“Honorable?” Louis asked

“Yeah, I mean it's sad. Very sad actually. But still honorable” Harry said. They both went quiet again, lost in thought as they followed the stone path towards the now very quiet bird chirps.

“So what did you miss, then?” Harry asked, breaking the silence once again.

“Sleeping with someone I actually love”

Harry nodded, squeezing his hand once before as they continued walking.

*

The sun was starting to rise, as they finally reached Kevin’s nest. She Jumped off the porch easily, trying to make it to her babies as she limped on over.

Harry looked overjoyed, ready with his camera to snap picture of their reunion, Louis had almost forgotten the entire reason he had come here, his brain mixing the wires that it was all for Harry Harry Harry.

He barely paid attention as he tied his home to a tree, to focused on Harry cooing at Kevin, as she called out for her babies

With the two of them so directacted, no one noticed the giant blimp flying over their heads, a giant spotlight landing over Kevin the only thing pulling Louis’ eyes up to the faded Spirit of Adventure written on the side of the ship.

A net was shot down before they could stop it, landing directly on Kevin before she could get away. Louis was quick on his feet, trying to rip the net free as Kevein fought around it, Harry on the other side of him trying as well.

“Well well, Look who we have here” Muntz said, walking down the ramp of his ship. He was holding an old oil lantern, Something Louis hadn't seen since he was a kid

“Would you like to get away from my bird?” Muntz asked, hobbling his way towards them. Louis hadn’t noticed before, but without the help of all the dogs Muntz was kinda of useless, and could barely walk on his own without a cane.

“I wouldn’t call it yours” Louis yelled back

“You want to get mouthy with me kid” Muntz said, coughing Louis to chuckle. He hadn’t been called a kid since he was a teenager

“I’m not messing around anymore” Muntz said, he walked furniture away from the bird, confusing Louis until the man made it right to the front of his house, tossing the oil lamp underneath it, causing the bottom of the house to go up in flames

Louis could still hear the baby birds calling for their mother, but he could also hear the balloons popping over his house from the heat. His decision was made as he stood up and ran towards his mouse, grabbing onto the hose to pull it from the flames underneath.

Muntz sent his dogs in, the pile of them pulling the net away from Harry easily, quickly loading the bird up back into the ship.

It happened so quickly, Muntz climbed back into his ship, and the blimp pulled away, with Harry, trying anything he could to stop it.

Louis could only think of his house, using his jacket to try and smush out the few flames that were left over

He could hear Harry coming up behind him, Cliff not far behind, but Louis couldn’t turn away from his house, he didn't want to see the look of disappointment on Harry’s face

“You gave away Kevin. No second thought, you just gave her away for your stupid house”

Louis sighed, gripping clenching his hands into fists as he turned around

“You know Harry, I didn't ask for any of this” Louis yelled. Harry took a step back, not having expected that reaction from Louis.

Clifford lowered his head, walking up to Louis “Master, it’s okay. Everything will be okay.

“I am not your master!” Louis yelled. “And you know what? If it wasn't for you two none of this shit would have happened! Now, I don't care if you come, but I am going to Paradise Falls, even if it kills me” Louis said, looping the hose around his arm as he started to pull

The house was barely off the ground at this point, and everytime he hit a rck, or even just a small bush he would have to pull way harder then he was used too, causing the whole process to go even slower.

Their were a few times even, where the house would land on the ground. Louis thinking he failed until it lifted back up again, only scrapping the rocky ground as it went.

Harry followed,but he didn’t help. Not when Louis struggled to pull, not when he fell, and not when Louis looked so red in the face from the struggle.

It took hours, the sun high in the sky, when the house landed on the ground for its final time.

Louis dropped the hose, pulling his map out to check that they were actually at the falls. He could hear the water spilling over the edge of the cliff, running up to watch with a small smile on his face.

It was only when he looked over at Harry, that all his new found joy was lost,

Harry had taken a seat on a rock, facing away from the house as he gently pet clifford. The dog leaning into his touch.

Louis tried to ignore them, hobbing over on his now very sore joints up to his house

The fire hadn’t done much damage, but dragging his home across the clifftops had. Furniture was strewn everywhere, most broken beyond repair and causing damage to the other parts of the house. Louis could see where his entryway table and taken a big hole through the wall.

The house looked nothing like it had before, with no power and all his things strewn about, so Louis through the pain, took his time putting it back together.

He was lucky that most of his furniture was light, and that anything already broken could be tossed outside, the front window with a big enough hole in it anyway.

It was only when everything in his front room was put away, that he sat down.

He felt nice, like finally taking a breath of fresh air after being underwater for so long. He couldn’t even remember the last time he could just sit down and relax, the days spent with Harry feeling like they went on for ages.

He looked around the room, everything put together best it could, and signed. Already knowing he had made the wrong choice.

He was bored already, and couldn’t deny it. As tiring as the last few days had been, they had also been the most fun few days of his life.

Shaking his head he sighed, those stupid cliche quotes were right, it wasn’t the destination, but the journey.

He reached over to his end table, grabbing the old and tattered adventure book to flip through the pages

He placed the map back inside, the stupid crayon drawing of the house almost mocking him now. He let his eyes travel up, almost starling from his seat from what he saw.

His beloved painting, the one hung over the fireplace for most of his life, had such an eerily similar feel to this crayon drawing, and he couldn’t believe he hadn't noticed it before.

Walking up to the painting, Louis noticed the glass frame had shattered, leaving the bottom right corner exposed, a signature popping out that he had never seen before

Louis pushed his glasses up, leaning in close so he could get a look at the cursive. Neatly, in thin black paint, Harry Styles was written clear as day. Louis ran back to his chair, pulling the adventure book into his lap and flipping the pages, trying to find any more similarities of the two.

He knew the boys name was H, and that was the only information Louis had gotten out of him that day. And now all he could think about was how adventure book H, And Harry styles the painter, were probably his Harry

He almost panicked, not sure when he started calling Harry his, but it didn’t stop him for quickly sliding through the pages, giving him any evidence supporting his theory

Instead, on the “Furture adventures page, he found a post it note. Eleanor’s handwriting coming off clear as day. Louis felt his heart sink, gently touching the note before he could force himself to read it

As much as he resented her, and blamed her for his closet, he still missed her everyday. You don’t spend your life with someone without falling in love, even just a little. She was his best friend, and he would never deny that.

He wiped a hand under his eyes, trying to brush the tears away before he could even read the note. And when he finally did, his heart broke even more

“Thanks for the adventure! Now go have a new one! I’m sure HE’S out there somewhere”

Louis choked out a sob, covering his mouth his his hand, He didn't want Harry to hear him from outside, crying like a baby

She had known the whole time, and even she was ready for Louis to just let go, and carry on with his life.

Looking up to try and blink the tears away, Louis gave himself only a few more moments to cry. Elanor was right, it was time to start his new adventure, and that adventure had been in his life the whole time, without him even knowing about it.

With a new found pep in his step, Louis walked out of his house, easier then he had in the last five years of his life.

“Harry?” He called, looking around for him. The man couldn’t be far, and didn’t have many places to hide on the flat bareen area they were currently sitting.

He eyes were drawn up, only from the sound of his leaf blower going, when he saw harry, a few hundred balloons tied around his waist as the leaf blower blew him away

“Fuck you Louis! I’m going to save that bird! Also I’m 69, not 70! So I have the agility for this” Harry yelled. Louis could hear a crack and a silent “Fuck, my back” In the distance, before Harry completely disappeared from his view

Louis ran back to his home, trying with all his might to get it pushed back up again, but it wouldn't budge. Even with as many balloons as it had left, the house was too heavy to lift again.

Frustrated, Louis stood on his front porch and tossed his lonely chair into the rock, the wood busting in an instant. That wasn’t what he noticed, though. With the small wait of the chair gone, the house lifted, even just a tiny bit

That had louis moving. He was in the house in seconds, tossing out any furniture he could find, the house lifting just an inch with every piece

Cliff followed him around, his head still low as he watched Louis “What are you doing master. Where is Harry. I want Harry” The robotic voice said

“I know buddy, I want Harry too, now start helping me get this stuff out of here!” Louis said. That pepped the dog up, so he started running in and outside the house, throwing out everything his little mouth could handle. “Anything for my masters. I love my Masters” Cliff said

“We love you too! Now hurry up!”

Louis ran upstairs, busting those windows as well to get rid of any furniture he could possibly find.

It was when he threw out his last piece, his favourite chair, that the house fully lifted off the ground, taking off where the wind guided it

Louis cheered, Clifford Happily barking beside him

“Come on! Lets go get our Harry” Louis said, grabbing the wheel to steer the house.

“I’m coming for you, baby” Louis said, placing a hand on the adventure book. That and Harry's painting being the only two things left in the house.

*

Somehow, Harry got the leaf blower trick to work, and with about a hundred balloons around his waist, he was flying.

He was going faster, definitely faster then walking, and has only thrown his joints out a few times as he flew, determined to said Kevin, the bird he had grown so fond of.

He thought meeting Muntz was a turning point for Louis, His soft side coming out for the animals, and for Harry. Something the man had wanted, for longer than Louis even knew.

He had seen Louis around, first laying eyes on him when he started a protest over the new development construction. The land they were taking was mostly homes, but also had some forest housing some very important wildlife for the area.

Harry had tied himself to a tree, sign in hand reading that he wouldn’t be moving, not until they agreed to keep the forest up.

Louis had walked by him, though Harry didn’t know his name at the time. He had just seen a very gorgeous man walking by, giving him a thumbs up before walking into a rainbow house, the one Harry had fallen in love with ages ago.

Harry was kicked from the spot within the day, but that didn’t stop him from holding more protests in the area, even just to catch a glimpse at the gorgeous man. He had hoped he could find a perfect time to talk to him, but Louis obviously didn’t leave his house much.

When His Orca awareness group asked him to go door to door, he took that as hild golden opportunity.

He wasn’t stupid, he knew Louis would think something was up the second he came to the door. It was the only house left on the street, and it couldn't be more obvious that Harry was there just for him.

After fumbling his way through the first day, Harry figured he would give it one last try. He expected nothing to come of it, nothing like this.

But Louis was like all the rest of the men he was seeing, a scared, selfish, asshole.

He should have been surprised when Louis chose the house over him, well his bird. But it still hurt. More than he was ready to admit. He had grown so close to Louis in the last few days, and with that came a small hope of his dreams finally coming true for him, even so late in life.

He pushed those thoughts away as he came up to the Spirit of Adventure blimp, steering his makeshift ride into an open window.

Falling onto a small carpeted area, Harry checked himself for any injuries before untying the balloons from around his waist, and letting them fly out the window. He cracked his back again, just for good measure, when growling could be heard from the other side of the room, forcing Harry to turn around and come face to face with four on Muntz’s minion dogs

“Shit” He mumbled trying to back away from the dogs, only forcing them to come closer

He used the only thing he had, and turned the leaf blower towards the dogs, pressing the button to send the strong air in their path. It did nothing but shake the poor dogs cheeks, which would have been cute if they weren't trying to kill him

The dogs had him tied up to a chair, faster then he was really proud of, but they were so well trained that they also had Muntz strolling into the room shortly after.

“All alone?” The man chuckled “Where your friend? Left you already?” Muntz said, somehow he knew he had touched a sore spot for Harry. The man was too smart for his own good.

“Let me go” Harry yelled, trying to wiggle free from the ropes around him. He managed to get his hands loose, the dogs obviously not doing as good a job as Muntz had hopped.

He used this small freedom to grab onto his leaf blower, shooting the man with air just as he had done the dogs. Just at him had done the dogs, it wiggle Muntz’ cheeks for a moment before the man was able to rip the blower away from him, tossing it across the room

“Enough of that” Muntz said, motion for his dogs to move Harry's chair out of the room with him.

He led them through the museum again, then down to what Harry could only recognize as the exit, dropping the chair onto the exit ramp. It was in that moment Harry realized what he was doing

The man pulled the lever before Harry could say anything, light cracking through the room as the exit ramp slowly started to lower, revealing the clear blue sky underneath them

Muntz’ grimaced at something he could see out the tiny window near the door, then hobbled his way out of the room

“Nice seeing you” He said, before the doors slammed shut behind him.

Harry looked down again, at what he was sure would be his death, when out of the corner of his eye he could see coloured balloons, attached to a tiny rainbow house that could only belong to

“Louis! Help!” He yelled, trying to shift his weight back so the chair wouldn’t keep sliding down the ramp as fast as it was,

Louis must have heard him, because it only took a few seconds for the house to steer towards him.

Harry could see him now, standing on his porch with Clifford. He watched on as Louis threw the hose, wrapping it around the bar of the ramp. Louis took his cane, hosting it over the hose then grabbing it with two hands, using the hose as a zip line to get to Harry, and grab him just before he fell.

“Real us in Cliff” Louis yelled, the dog nodding and winding the hose back up to pull the house closer to the ramp.

Harry smiled up at Louis “You came to save.. Kevin” he whispered, wrapping his arms around Louis once he was untied.

“I did come to save...Kevin” Louis said, taking the moment to hold Harry in his arms “But you, I want you safe, you are only in your 60’s after all” he said, helping Harry into the house. He turned around before Harry could stop him, and jumped right back on the ramp with Clifford

“Where are you going?” Harry yelled

“I’m going to get you your bird!” Louis said, taking off and closing the ramp behind him.

*

It didn’t take louis much to sneak in, thanks to the help of clifford. Whenever they ran into more dogs, Clifford always seemed to know another way, guiding though through vents and oddly placed rope bridges. It wasn’t long before Louis was throwing another vent open, Kevin appearing right before his eyes, trapped in a cage way to small for her.

“Don’t worry kevin, we’re on our way” Louis said, carefully exiting the vent with Clifford not far behind him.

The vent had left them near the ceiling, so they were standing on a ledge watching over when ten dogs entered the room, instructed on how they should be guarding the bird

“What do we do now, Cliff” Louis whispered, looking over as Clifford was chewing on one of the tennis balls on his cane, not looking guilty for a second

“Just because I can talk doesn’t mean that I am not a dog” He said, and it gave Louis an idea

He climbed down onto the cage, gaining his balance before banging the top of it with his cane. The metal on metal giving off a loud clanking sound, getting all the attention of all the dogs in the room

“Who wants the ball?” Louis yelled, before ripping the tennis ball off his cane and throwing it out the door.

As expected, all the dogs left the room, running down the hall to catch the ball, all hoping over each other and tumbling around as they did.

When one of them finally got it, they turned to find Louis at the door, slamming it shut before they could get back in.

“I’m sorry Kevin, Let's get you out of here” Louis said, opening the cage so the bird could step out.

*

Harry walked around the now empty house unsure of what to do. The hose had extended again, making it almost impossible for himself to get back on the blimp. It was pulling him along though, so he wasn’t forced to steer as he waited for Louis to come back.

He almost couldn’t recognize the house from the first time he saw it. The windows were all smashed, throwing a cold breeze through the house. All the furniture was gone, only tiny broken pices left over.

Harry inspected the wheel, testing if it still worked when his eyes landed on the adventure book. Something he thought he would never see again

He threw it open, looking at all the old drawings he had done as a child. The maps, the postcards, and even some new drawings he hadn’t recognized were in there.

“Louis,” he said, looking out the window at the blimp. His Louis now was that Louis, his very first friend as a child before he moved away.

He had been so sad when he had lost his book, even sadder that he couldn't say goodbye to his only friend, the one he had planned to have many adventures with. And adventures they would have.

Harry rushed back out to the porch, his eye catching one of his own paintings on the way. He knew fate had brought him to Louis, but he didn’t realize just how long she hand been working

He bent down, spinning the wheel of the hose to reel the house back towards the blimp. What he couldn’t see, was the blimp making a very sharp left turn, causing the hose to come loose from the ramp.

It jerked the house, Harry stumbling as it spun, the only thing he had to grab onto was the hose itself, that sent him flying off the porch and dangling beneath the house. All he could do was grip tight, and hope Louis would come back soon as the house flung through the sky

*

“Come on Kevin, this way, be careful” Louis whispered, leading the bird back though the museum. The room was quiet, too quiet for Louis’ liking, so he should have expected when the door slammed behind him, Muntz angry face looking right at him

Muntz’ was quick, quicker then Louis had seen him on this island. He reached for a sword, sitting in one of the displays and whipped it toward Louis, just missing his chest by an inch. Louis started to back up then, waving his arms in surrender, But Muntz didn’t stop. He kept swiping the sword towards Louis, swing after swing just barley missing him every time

All Louis could use to defend himself was his cane, which he used to block himself from the blade.

Muntz gave the wrong swing, the blade landing in one of the many skeletons and getting stuck. Louis took this moment to extend his cane out, and whack muntz on the head

Muntz stumbled back a few steps, but regained himself and yanked the sword out of the bone it was stuck in. He threw it back, planning to throw a hard swing at Louis, when a loud crack could be heard, and Muntz groaned, throwing out his back.

The man righted himself quickly, throwing his arms back down the other way to give an opposite stretch, He used this movement to corner Louis, placing the sword against his throat

“Any last words, Louis” Muntz asked, pushing Louis tighter up against the wall. “Come on, spit it out”

Louis did, spit it out that is. He spit his dentures out at the man, Causing muntz to stumble backwards and wipe his eyes.

Louis grabbed his teeth, not wanting to lose them. He winced as he put them back in, tasting whatever fur they picked up off the floor.

“Come on Kevin, let's get out of here” Louis yelled, running towards the exit.

Muntz’ wasn’t far behind, nearly trapping Louis again, before the whole blimp started to turn, throwing them both sideways and against the wall.

Louis landed on the window, the thing opening easily beneath him. As he gripped on, he could see his house floating alongside them. His only thought that at least Harry was safe.

He looked up, finding a ladder over the window that led to the roof of the blimp. As the blim started to right itself again, Louis grabbed the first rung and started pulling himself up

“Come on Kevin” He said, watching as the bird made its way up behind him

*

Harry slid down the hose for the second time. Out of breath and having barely made it halfway up. He looked over, his eyes catching the bright colours of kevin, climbing up the side of the blimp.

When he squinted, he could see Louis too, not too far in front of kevin. Looking down, he could see Muntz climbing out behind them, using a quick pace to chase them both us the latter.

“You leave my Louis alone” He mumbled, a new strength coming over him now that he knew Louis was in danger.

It took all his strength, and a lot more will power then he cared to admit, but soon enough he was at the top of the hose, and able to climb back onto the porch and into the house.  
*  
Louis was almost up the ladder, when he felt a tug on his foot. Looking down, he saw Muntz bellow him, trying to pull him off, but only his pants slid down.

“If you're trying to get me naked, take me out to dinner first” Louis yelled, using his cane to hit Muntz down.

Muntz’ lost his grip, falling down a few rungs of the ladder before he caught himself again. Louis was already at the top though, Kevin waiting for him.

Gripping the railings, Louis ws started as one of the vents opened up, Clifford head popping up through the hole

“Master” He yelled, climbing out and running up to Louis

“Clifford!” Louis smiled, pulling the dog into his arms.

He could see the house in the distance now, waving his arms to draw attention to himself

“Harry! We’re over here” He yelled, trying to get the older mans attention.

Harry, turned the wheel, maneuvering the house so it hovered just above the blimp. Louis rushed over, helping kevin in, then Clifford, when Loud popping could be heard, and the house fell, landing on top of the ship.

Muntz was standing in front of them, pellet gun in hand as he shot the balloons down, ruining their only escape plan.

The house started to slip, the same horrible gust of wind sliding it down the blimp, towards the edge of the roof. Harry watched from the doorway as Louis chased after them, only getting a grip on the hose as they reached the edge, back of the house tipping off.

“Harry! Get out of there!” Louis yelled, trying with everything he could to keep his grip on the hose.

Muntz was still behind them, shooting at the balloons like some sort of carnival game.

“But your home!” Harry yelled, frantically looking around to find another way to save it

“Harry! You are my home!” Louis yelled. And Harry didn’t even get a moment to take that in, louis having lost grip of the hose, sending the house jerking back again.

Harry fell forward, kevin and Clifford in town as he landed face first onto the ship.  
Muntz, still too focused on the balloons, didn’t notice the now loose hose pulling down the ship, catching his foot and sending him flying off the side and down into the canyon below, no dogs to save him this time.

Louis pulled Harry into his arms, as they watched his house, the only home had known for years, vashish into the clouds never to be seen again.

But when he looked over at Harry, eyes shining and a dimpled grin brighter than anything he had ever seen, he knew he had made the right choice, and that his new home would be much livelier than his old one ever had.

*

Instead of just letting the house float along with them, Louis and Harry now had the drag it, the balloons not holding it up enough to go on it’s own. They had Kevin sitting on the front porch, the bird having been able to fly a few feet up, but not much else.

“I don’t see my pack. They are not following us” Cliff said in his robotic voice. Louis gave his head a good scratch, watching as the dog ran around them to make sure everything was safe.

It was silent for a while, only creaking sounds coming from the house now. It was nighttime, normally when they would stop, but Louis didn’t want to waste any time, couldn’t waste any by the looks of his house

“So, Muntz was way more fucked than I thought” Harry said, interrupting Louis’ thoughts

Louis chuckled, shaking his head “They do say don’t meet your heroes”

Harry laughed along with him, when a thought popped into Louis’ head

“Hey, how did you know Kevin is extinct, or was. I thought they didn’t believe Muntz discovered it, called him a fraud and all that”

Harry smiled “If crazy cave man would have come out of his lair for once, he would have known that another one was discovered years ago, then the species claimed extinct when it died.”

“So he’s just- basically ruined his whole life for a dream” Louis said.

“Yup”  
“And if he just would have stayed home, they would have believed him a few years later. And he wouldn't be all” Louis motioned his hand around his head, as if to say crazy

“Yup” Harry chuckled “You know, sometimes I think the boring stuff, the everyday life stuff, are the things people regret missing most”

“What do you mean?” Louis frowned, eyes knitting together

“Take Muntz for example, so easy to take in two strangers”

“Though he tried to kill us within the hour” Louis added

“Yes, but, he was so desperate for human interaction, that he took in two literal stanger, wined and dined us, even though we could have been horrible people. We could have been the ones trying to kill him, yet he didn’t even care” harry said “He has been all over the world, the stuff people only dream about, but he would probably trade it all away just for a friend”

“You’re right,” Louis said, taking a moment to think everything over “It was really the boring stuff, or what I thought was boring at the time, that I remember most about my life.”

“And it's probably the boring stuff that you regret missing out on, too”

“Well, Mr. deep, what's the boring stuff you missed out on, the ones you regret?” Louis asked.

Harry went silent, seemingly lost in thought trying to come up with his answer. Louis took the time to look around them, checking how close they were getting to the drop off point of the bird, and wondering if it all mattered anymore.

“I wish I could have had a relationship” Harry finally said, though it was barely above a whisper. Louis had to lean walk closer just to hear him

“I mean, I had relationships. But not actual ones.”

“Because people we’re brave enough” Louis remembered. But Harry didn’t have to tell him, he knew from his own fear what it was like to force yourself in the closet, hell, even just holding hand like they were now wouldn't have been acceptable ten years ago.

“Exactly” Harry said, a small frown forming on his face “And it was the small stuff I missed, you know? Someone to cuddle with, dance in the rain. Someone who wanted to kiss me, knowing it wouldn’t go anywhere but just that.”

“I mean, i could have gotten into a relationship, if i wanted to. But the men who were available-”

“Skeezy?” Louis asked

“No, Married” Harry frowned “And i just couldn’t do that. Couldn’t go behind some poor woman's back and ruin her life. Her confidence. My father cheated on my mother, the aftermath was terrible”

“I never cheated on Eleanor, thought about it a few times but I never could. Just couldn’t imagine the look on her face knowing i’d gone behind her back like that. Would be horrible” Louis confessed

“Thats hornerabe” Harry said earnestly

“Honorable?” Louis asked

“Yeah, I mean it's sad. Very sad actually. But still honorable” Harry said. They both went quiet again, lost in thought as they followed the stone path towards the now very quiet bird chirps.

“So what did you miss, then?” Harry asked, breaking the silence once again.

“Sleeping with someone I actually love”

Harry nodded, squeezing his hand once before as they continued walking.

*

The sun was starting to rise, as they finally reached Kevin’s nest. She Jumped off the porch easily, trying to make it to her babies as she limped on over.

Harry looked overjoyed, ready with his camera to snap picture of their reunion, Louis had almost forgotten the entire reason he had come here, his brain mixing the wires that it was all for Harry Harry Harry.

He barely paid attention as he tied his home to a tree, to focused on Harry cooing at Kevin, as she called out for her babies

With the two of them so directacted, no one noticed the giant blimp flying over their heads, a giant spotlight landing over Kevin the only thing pulling Louis’ eyes up to the faded Spirit of Adventure written on the side of the ship.

A net was shot down before they could stop it, landing directly on Kevin before she could get away. Louis was quick on his feet, trying to rip the net free as Kevein fought around it, Harry on the other side of him trying as well.

“Well well, Look who we have here” Muntz said, walking down the ramp of his ship. He was holding an old oil lantern, Something Louis hadn't seen since he was a kid

“Would you like to get away from my bird?” Muntz asked, hobbling his way towards them. Louis hadn’t noticed before, but without the help of all the dogs Muntz was kinda of useless, and could barely walk on his own without a cane.

“I wouldn’t call it yours” Louis yelled back

“You want to get mouthy with me kid” Muntz said, coughing Louis to chuckle. He hadn’t been called a kid since he was a teenager

“I’m not messing around anymore” Muntz said, he walked furniture away from the bird, confusing Louis until the man made it right to the front of his house, tossing the oil lamp underneath it, causing the bottom of the house to go up in flames

Louis could still hear the baby birds calling for their mother, but he could also hear the balloons popping over his house from the heat. His decision was made as he stood up and ran towards his mouse, grabbing onto the hose to pull it from the flames underneath.

Muntz sent his dogs in, the pile of them pulling the net away from Harry easily, quickly loading the bird up back into the ship.

It happened so quickly, Muntz climbed back into his ship, and the blimp pulled away, with Harry, trying anything he could to stop it.

Louis could only think of his house, using his jacket to try and smush out the few flames that were left over

He could hear Harry coming up behind him, Cliff not far behind, but Louis couldn’t turn away from his house, he didn't want to see the look of disappointment on Harry’s face

“You gave away Kevin. No second thought, you just gave her away for your stupid house”

Louis sighed, gripping clenching his hands into fists as he turned around

“You know Harry, I didn't ask for any of this” Louis yelled. Harry took a step back, not having expected that reaction from Louis.

Clifford lowered his head, walking up to Louis “Master, it’s okay. Everything will be okay.

“I am not your master!” Louis yelled. “And you know what? If it wasn't for you two none of this shit would have happened! Now, I don't care if you come, but I am going to Paradise Falls, even if it kills me” Louis said, looping the hose around his arm as he started to pull

The house was barely off the ground at this point, and everytime he hit a rck, or even just a small bush he would have to pull way harder then he was used too, causing the whole process to go even slower.

Their were a few times even, where the house would land on the ground. Louis thinking he failed until it lifted back up again, only scrapping the rocky ground as it went.

Harry followed,but he didn’t help. Not when Louis struggled to pull, not when he fell, and not when Louis looked so red in the face from the struggle.

It took hours, the sun high in the sky, when the house landed on the ground for its final time.

Louis dropped the hose, pulling his map out to check that they were actually at the falls. He could hear the water spilling over the edge of the cliff, running up to watch with a small smile on his face.

It was only when he looked over at Harry, that all his new found joy was lost,

Harry had taken a seat on a rock, facing away from the house as he gently pet clifford. The dog leaning into his touch.

Louis tried to ignore them, hobbing over on his now very sore joints up to his house

The fire hadn’t done much damage, but dragging his home across the clifftops had. Furniture was strewn everywhere, most broken beyond repair and causing damage to the other parts of the house. Louis could see where his entryway table and taken a big hole through the wall.

The house looked nothing like it had before, with no power and all his things strewn about, so Louis through the pain, took his time putting it back together.

He was lucky that most of his furniture was light, and that anything already broken could be tossed outside, the front window with a big enough hole in it anyway.

It was only when everything in his front room was put away, that he sat down.

He felt nice, like finally taking a breath of fresh air after being underwater for so long. He couldn’t even remember the last time he could just sit down and relax, the days spent with Harry feeling like they went on for ages.

He looked around the room, everything put together best it could, and signed. Already knowing he had made the wrong choice.

He was bored already, and couldn’t deny it. As tiring as the last few days had been, they had also been the most fun few days of his life.

Shaking his head he sighed, those stupid cliche quotes were right, it wasn’t the destination, but the journey.

He reached over to his end table, grabbing the old and tattered adventure book to flip through the pages

He placed the map back inside, the stupid crayon drawing of the house almost mocking him now. He let his eyes travel up, almost starling from his seat from what he saw.

His beloved painting, the one hung over the fireplace for most of his life, had such an eerily similar feel to this crayon drawing, and he couldn’t believe he hadn't noticed it before.

Walking up to the painting, Louis noticed the glass frame had shattered, leaving the bottom right corner exposed, a signature popping out that he had never seen before

Louis pushed his glasses up, leaning in close so he could get a look at the cursive. Neatly, in thin black paint, Harry Styles was written clear as day. Louis ran back to his chair, pulling the adventure book into his lap and flipping the pages, trying to find any more similarities of the two.

He knew the boys name was H, and that was the only information Louis had gotten out of him that day. And now all he could think about was how adventure book H, And Harry styles the painter, were probably his Harry

He almost panicked, not sure when he started calling Harry his, but it didn’t stop him for quickly sliding through the pages, giving him any evidence supporting his theory

Instead, on the “Furture adventures page, he found a post it note. Eleanor’s handwriting coming off clear as day. Louis felt his heart sink, gently touching the note before he could force himself to read it

As much as he resented her, and blamed her for his closet, he still missed her everyday. You don’t spend your life with someone without falling in love, even just a little. She was his best friend, and he would never deny that.

He wiped a hand under his eyes, trying to brush the tears away before he could even read the note. And when he finally did, his heart broke even more

“Thanks for the adventure! Now go have a new one! I’m sure HE’S out there somewhere”

Louis choked out a sob, covering his mouth his his hand, He didn't want Harry to hear him from outside, crying like a baby

She had known the whole time, and even she was ready for Louis to just let go, and carry on with his life.

Looking up to try and blink the tears away, Louis gave himself only a few more moments to cry. Elanor was right, it was time to start his new adventure, and that adventure had been in his life the whole time, without him even knowing about it.

With a new found pep in his step, Louis walked out of his house, easier then he had in the last five years of his life.

“Harry?” He called, looking around for him. The man couldn’t be far, and didn’t have many places to hide on the flat bareen area they were currently sitting.

He eyes were drawn up, only from the sound of his leaf blower going, when he saw harry, a few hundred balloons tied around his waist as the leaf blower blew him away

“Fuck you Louis! I’m going to save that bird! Also I’m 69, not 70! So I have the agility for this” Harry yelled. Louis could hear a crack and a silent “Fuck, my back” In the distance, before Harry completely disappeared from his view

Louis ran back to his home, trying with all his might to get it pushed back up again, but it wouldn't budge. Even with as many balloons as it had left, the house was too heavy to lift again.

Frustrated, Louis stood on his front porch and tossed his lonely chair into the rock, the wood busting in an instant. That wasn’t what he noticed, though. With the small wait of the chair gone, the house lifted, even just a tiny bit

That had louis moving. He was in the house in seconds, tossing out any furniture he could find, the house lifting just an inch with every piece

Cliff followed him around, his head still low as he watched Louis “What are you doing master. Where is Harry. I want Harry” The robotic voice said

“I know buddy, I want Harry too, now start helping me get this stuff out of here!” Louis said. That pepped the dog up, so he started running in and outside the house, throwing out everything his little mouth could handle. “Anything for my masters. I love my Masters” Cliff said

“We love you too! Now hurry up!”

Louis ran upstairs, busting those windows as well to get rid of any furniture he could possibly find.

It was when he threw out his last piece, his favourite chair, that the house fully lifted off the ground, taking off where the wind guided it

Louis cheered, Clifford Happily barking beside him

“Come on! Lets go get our Harry” Louis said, grabbing the wheel to steer the house.

“I’m coming for you, baby” Louis said, placing a hand on the adventure book. That and Harry's painting being the only two things left in the house.

*

Somehow, Harry got the leaf blower trick to work, and with about a hundred balloons around his waist, he was flying.

He was going faster, definitely faster then walking, and has only thrown his joints out a few times as he flew, determined to said Kevin, the bird he had grown so fond of.

He thought meeting Muntz was a turning point for Louis, His soft side coming out for the animals, and for Harry. Something the man had wanted, for longer than Louis even knew.

He had seen Louis around, first laying eyes on him when he started a protest over the new development construction. The land they were taking was mostly homes, but also had some forest housing some very important wildlife for the area.

Harry had tied himself to a tree, sign in hand reading that he wouldn’t be moving, not until they agreed to keep the forest up.

Louis had walked by him, though Harry didn’t know his name at the time. He had just seen a very gorgeous man walking by, giving him a thumbs up before walking into a rainbow house, the one Harry had fallen in love with ages ago.

Harry was kicked from the spot within the day, but that didn’t stop him from holding more protests in the area, even just to catch a glimpse at the gorgeous man. He had hoped he could find a perfect time to talk to him, but Louis obviously didn’t leave his house much.

When His Orca awareness group asked him to go door to door, he took that as hild golden opportunity.

He wasn’t stupid, he knew Louis would think something was up the second he came to the door. It was the only house left on the street, and it couldn't be more obvious that Harry was there just for him.

After fumbling his way through the first day, Harry figured he would give it one last try. He expected nothing to come of it, nothing like this.

But Louis was like all the rest of the men he was seeing, a scared, selfish, asshole.

He should have been surprised when Louis chose the house over him, well his bird. But it still hurt. More than he was ready to admit. He had grown so close to Louis in the last few days, and with that came a small hope of his dreams finally coming true for him, even so late in life.

He pushed those thoughts away as he came up to the Spirit of Adventure blimp, steering his makeshift ride into an open window.

Falling onto a small carpeted area, Harry checked himself for any injuries before untying the balloons from around his waist, and letting them fly out the window. He cracked his back again, just for good measure, when growling could be heard from the other side of the room, forcing Harry to turn around and come face to face with four on Muntz’s minion dogs

“Shit” He mumbled trying to back away from the dogs, only forcing them to come closer

He used the only thing he had, and turned the leaf blower towards the dogs, pressing the button to send the strong air in their path. It did nothing but shake the poor dogs cheeks, which would have been cute if they weren't trying to kill him

The dogs had him tied up to a chair, faster then he was really proud of, but they were so well trained that they also had Muntz strolling into the room shortly after.

“All alone?” The man chuckled “Where your friend? Left you already?” Muntz said, somehow he knew he had touched a sore spot for Harry. The man was too smart for his own good.

“Let me go” Harry yelled, trying to wiggle free from the ropes around him. He managed to get his hands loose, the dogs obviously not doing as good a job as Muntz had hopped.

He used this small freedom to grab onto his leaf blower, shooting the man with air just as he had done the dogs. Just at him had done the dogs, it wiggle Muntz’ cheeks for a moment before the man was able to rip the blower away from him, tossing it across the room

“Enough of that” Muntz said, motion for his dogs to move Harry's chair out of the room with him.

He led them through the museum again, then down to what Harry could only recognize as the exit, dropping the chair onto the exit ramp. It was in that moment Harry realized what he was doing

The man pulled the lever before Harry could say anything, light cracking through the room as the exit ramp slowly started to lower, revealing the clear blue sky underneath them

Muntz’ grimaced at something he could see out the tiny window near the door, then hobbled his way out of the room

“Nice seeing you” He said, before the doors slammed shut behind him.

Harry looked down again, at what he was sure would be his death, when out of the corner of his eye he could see coloured balloons, attached to a tiny rainbow house that could only belong to

“Louis! Help!” He yelled, trying to shift his weight back so the chair wouldn’t keep sliding down the ramp as fast as it was,

Louis must have heard him, because it only took a few seconds for the house to steer towards him.

Harry could see him now, standing on his porch with Clifford. He watched on as Louis threw the hose, wrapping it around the bar of the ramp. Louis took his cane, hosting it over the hose then grabbing it with two hands, using the hose as a zip line to get to Harry, and grab him just before he fell.

“Real us in Cliff” Louis yelled, the dog nodding and winding the hose back up to pull the house closer to the ramp.

Harry smiled up at Louis “You came to save.. Kevin” he whispered, wrapping his arms around Louis once he was untied.

“I did come to save...Kevin” Louis said, taking the moment to hold Harry in his arms “But you, I want you safe, you are only in your 60’s after all” he said, helping Harry into the house. He turned around before Harry could stop him, and jumped right back on the ramp with Clifford

“Where are you going?” Harry yelled

“I’m going to get you your bird!” Louis said, taking off and closing the ramp behind him.

*

It didn’t take louis much to sneak in, thanks to the help of clifford. Whenever they ran into more dogs, Clifford always seemed to know another way, guiding though through vents and oddly placed rope bridges. It wasn’t long before Louis was throwing another vent open, Kevin appearing right before his eyes, trapped in a cage way to small for her.

“Don’t worry kevin, we’re on our way” Louis said, carefully exiting the vent with Clifford not far behind him.

The vent had left them near the ceiling, so they were standing on a ledge watching over when ten dogs entered the room, instructed on how they should be guarding the bird

“What do we do now, Cliff” Louis whispered, looking over as Clifford was chewing on one of the tennis balls on his cane, not looking guilty for a second

“Just because I can talk doesn’t mean that I am not a dog” He said, and it gave Louis an idea

He climbed down onto the cage, gaining his balance before banging the top of it with his cane. The metal on metal giving off a loud clanking sound, getting all the attention of all the dogs in the room

“Who wants the ball?” Louis yelled, before ripping the tennis ball off his cane and throwing it out the door.

As expected, all the dogs left the room, running down the hall to catch the ball, all hoping over each other and tumbling around as they did.

When one of them finally got it, they turned to find Louis at the door, slamming it shut before they could get back in.

“I’m sorry Kevin, Let's get you out of here” Louis said, opening the cage so the bird could step out.

*

Harry walked around the now empty house unsure of what to do. The hose had extended again, making it almost impossible for himself to get back on the blimp. It was pulling him along though, so he wasn’t forced to steer as he waited for Louis to come back.

He almost couldn’t recognize the house from the first time he saw it. The windows were all smashed, throwing a cold breeze through the house. All the furniture was gone, only tiny broken pices left over.

Harry inspected the wheel, testing if it still worked when his eyes landed on the adventure book. Something he thought he would never see again

He threw it open, looking at all the old drawings he had done as a child. The maps, the postcards, and even some new drawings he hadn’t recognized were in there.

“Louis,” he said, looking out the window at the blimp. His Louis now was that Louis, his very first friend as a child before he moved away.

He had been so sad when he had lost his book, even sadder that he couldn't say goodbye to his only friend, the one he had planned to have many adventures with. And adventures they would have.

Harry rushed back out to the porch, his eye catching one of his own paintings on the way. He knew fate had brought him to Louis, but he didn’t realize just how long she hand been working

He bent down, spinning the wheel of the hose to reel the house back towards the blimp. What he couldn’t see, was the blimp making a very sharp left turn, causing the hose to come loose from the ramp.

It jerked the house, Harry stumbling as it spun, the only thing he had to grab onto was the hose itself, that sent him flying off the porch and dangling beneath the house. All he could do was grip tight, and hope Louis would come back soon as the house flung through the sky

*

“Come on Kevin, this way, be careful” Louis whispered, leading the bird back though the museum. The room was quiet, too quiet for Louis’ liking, so he should have expected when the door slammed behind him, Muntz angry face looking right at him

Muntz’ was quick, quicker then Louis had seen him on this island. He reached for a sword, sitting in one of the displays and whipped it toward Louis, just missing his chest by an inch. Louis started to back up then, waving his arms in surrender, But Muntz didn’t stop. He kept swiping the sword towards Louis, swing after swing just barley missing him every time

All Louis could use to defend himself was his cane, which he used to block himself from the blade.

Muntz gave the wrong swing, the blade landing in one of the many skeletons and getting stuck. Louis took this moment to extend his cane out, and whack muntz on the head

Muntz stumbled back a few steps, but regained himself and yanked the sword out of the bone it was stuck in. He threw it back, planning to throw a hard swing at Louis, when a loud crack could be heard, and Muntz groaned, throwing out his back.

The man righted himself quickly, throwing his arms back down the other way to give an opposite stretch, He used this movement to corner Louis, placing the sword against his throat

“Any last words, Louis” Muntz asked, pushing Louis tighter up against the wall. “Come on, spit it out”

Louis did, spit it out that is. He spit his dentures out at the man, Causing muntz to stumble backwards and wipe his eyes.

Louis grabbed his teeth, not wanting to lose them. He winced as he put them back in, tasting whatever fur they picked up off the floor.

“Come on Kevin, let's get out of here” Louis yelled, running towards the exit.

Muntz’ wasn’t far behind, nearly trapping Louis again, before the whole blimp started to turn, throwing them both sideways and against the wall.

Louis landed on the window, the thing opening easily beneath him. As he gripped on, he could see his house floating alongside them. His only thought that at least Harry was safe.

He looked up, finding a ladder over the window that led to the roof of the blimp. As the blim started to right itself again, Louis grabbed the first rung and started pulling himself up

“Come on Kevin” He said, watching as the bird made its way up behind him

*

Harry slid down the hose for the second time. Out of breath and having barely made it halfway up. He looked over, his eyes catching the bright colours of kevin, climbing up the side of the blimp.

When he squinted, he could see Louis too, not too far in front of kevin. Looking down, he could see Muntz climbing out behind them, using a quick pace to chase them both us the latter.

“You leave my Louis alone” He mumbled, a new strength coming over him now that he knew Louis was in danger.

It took all his strength, and a lot more will power then he cared to admit, but soon enough he was at the top of the hose, and able to climb back onto the porch and into the house.  
*  
Louis was almost up the ladder, when he felt a tug on his foot. Looking down, he saw Muntz bellow him, trying to pull him off, but only his pants slid down.

“If you're trying to get me naked, take me out to dinner first” Louis yelled, using his cane to hit Muntz down.

Muntz’ lost his grip, falling down a few rungs of the ladder before he caught himself again. Louis was already at the top though, Kevin waiting for him.

Gripping the railings, Louis ws started as one of the vents opened up, Clifford head popping up through the hole

“Master” He yelled, climbing out and running up to Louis

“Clifford!” Louis smiled, pulling the dog into his arms.

He could see the house in the distance now, waving his arms to draw attention to himself

“Harry! We’re over here” He yelled, trying to get the older mans attention.

Harry, turned the wheel, maneuvering the house so it hovered just above the blimp. Louis rushed over, helping kevin in, then Clifford, when Loud popping could be heard, and the house fell, landing on top of the ship.

Muntz was standing in front of them, pellet gun in hand as he shot the balloons down, ruining their only escape plan.

The house started to slip, the same horrible gust of wind sliding it down the blimp, towards the edge of the roof. Harry watched from the doorway as Louis chased after them, only getting a grip on the hose as they reached the edge, back of the house tipping off.

“Harry! Get out of there!” Louis yelled, trying with everything he could to keep his grip on the hose.

Muntz was still behind them, shooting at the balloons like some sort of carnival game.

“But your home!” Harry yelled, frantically looking around to find another way to save it

“Harry! You are my home!” Louis yelled. And Harry didn’t even get a moment to take that in, louis having lost grip of the hose, sending the house jerking back again.

Harry fell forward, kevin and Clifford in town as he landed face first onto the ship.  
Muntz, still too focused on the balloons, didn’t notice the now loose hose pulling down the ship, catching his foot and sending him flying off the side and down into the canyon below, no dogs to save him this time.

Louis pulled Harry into his arms, as they watched his house, the only home had known for years, vashish into the clouds never to be seen again.

But when he looked over at Harry, eyes shining and a dimpled grin brighter than anything he had ever seen, he knew he had made the right choice, and that his new home would be much livelier than his old one ever had.


End file.
